


Since the Moment I Set Eyes on You

by BardcoreBitch



Category: Baldur's Gate
Genre: Adult Content, Angst, Astarion - Freeform, Biting, Blood Drinking, Dubious Morality, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Half-Elves, Halsin - Freeform, Light BDSM, Medium Burn, Minor Game Spoilers, Mutual Pining, NSFW, Original Art, Original Character(s), Pining, Romance, Smut, Vampire Sex, Vampires, game screenshots, loosely follows the early access story, mildly nsfw art, now with art, party members, the main character is a half wood elf, the other companions pair up in the background
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:40:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 34,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27539302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BardcoreBitch/pseuds/BardcoreBitch
Summary: Astarion is charged with bringing victims home for dinner to his vampire master Cazador every night.  During his unholy search, he finds himself in a busy tavern enchanted by a beautiful half elf singer with bright red hair.  Astarion becomes infatuated, and starts to regularly attend her performances, watching from a distance and longing for what his master will never let him have.  When the two find themselves crashed onto a beach after their abduction by the mind flayers, they decide to work together to get their parasites under control, along with the help of a dark cleric, a wizard, a warlock, and a githyanki warrior. The story loosely follows the plot of the early access game, but it is more focused on the relationships between the characters.
Relationships: Astarion (Baldur's Gate)/Original Female Character(s), Astarion/Female Charname (Baldur's Gate)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 123





	1. Fresh Blood

**Author's Note:**

> There are some minor game spoilers.
> 
> This is an 18+ Fic! Please mind the tags and note lack of archive warnings. Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astarion is out hunting for victims to bring to Cazador when he becomes enchanted with a redheaded half elf bard. Events take place before the start of the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some minor Cazador spoilers in this chapter! I watched a video where someone modded their game to get Astarion's tadpole dream sequence, and somehow unlocked some hidden scenes that aren't released to early access as of now, including Cazazdor's appearance and some minor dialogue. I don't think it is really a huge spoiler but I had to warn!

Another night meant another task to be completed for Cazador. Astarion stalked silently through the streets of Baldur's Gate in search of his next victim, his feet trained to maneuver the terrain without a sound. He was required by his master to bring back fresh blood every night for dinner, and the more attractive and vivacious the victim was the better. Of course Astarion was never allowed a taste of his prey, as Cazador would surely flay him if he caught Astarion feeding on anything but rats or other simple, disgusting vermin. Rule number one: _Thou shalt not feed on the blood of thinking creatures_. His master had forced him to repeat this too many times to forget. The man that was supposed to be his savior was more of his curse. Every night he was forced to lure another beautiful victim back to his prison, despite the overwhelming temptation to feed on them himself. He had lost count of how many people he led to their deaths, and the feelings of guilt, self-hatred, and disgust had long since been replaced by fear and the need to survive. 

Taverns and brothels produced the easiest victims to poach with little concern or notice. Astarion had more than a few tricks up his sleeve when it came to slipping away with someone quietly. Promises of sex, money, or powerful connections were usually enough of an incentive for the clueless stray wanderer or townsperson. Luckily he had learned how to reject emotion and empathy when necessary during his years as a magistrate, making his objectively immoral assignments easier to swallow. Astarion was scanning throughout the warm glow of the softly lit streets, glancing around in search of anyone Cazador might accept as prey. The familiar sense of fogginess and fatigue surely perpetuated by the restricted diet of rodents clouded his brain until a faint melody distracted his ear. 

Something about the music caught his attention and lifted him from his hungry stupor. Without much thought he began to stride towards the source of the lovely sound. He soon approached a lively tavern that seemed somewhat familiar from his nightly prowls around the city. Astarion made sure the hood of his cloak sufficiently obscured his visage before quietly stepping into the tavern as the crowd clapped and cheered for the finale of the musical performance. The majority of the tavern folk were already in a sufficiently vulnerable state of intoxication, which proved to be an auspicious sign that his nightly errand might be completed as quickly and as painlessly as he could really expect. His head began to throb as his senses were overwhelmed by the scent of alcohol-ridden blood and the maddening sound of the collective heartbeats of the crowd, pounding in excitement from the quick beat of the song and its dramatic conclusion. He made his way over to a less populated corner of the tavern and closed his eyes, rubbing at the tension in his forehead and focusing on the slow deceleration of the crowd's heartbeats as the soft sound of a stringed instruments introduced a slower and gentler song. 

Crowds were normally an uncomfortable and overwhelming experience for an incomplete vampire desperately craving the taste of something sweeter than putrid vermin blood. Scents, sounds, and sights of a rowdy gathering were an assault on his senses, even on a "good" day. Astarion honestly couldn't remember the last good day he had. Even before his master transformed him and made him his slave, his life as a magistrate was hardly satisfying, filled with mind-numbing daily work and nights consumed by temporary and unfulfilling distractions. Just as his thoughts began to darken, a hypnotizing voice crying out over the soft and melancholy strumming peeled his eyes open and captured his full attention from the cacophony of the tavern. 

The sight of the woman made his heart stop. She was more than just gorgeous. Her beauty was bewitching almost, and her voice was so distinct and mesmerizing, it was impossible to focus on everything else. Astarion felt for a moment as though he and the enchanting performer were the only two individuals in the building. Her voice was rich and feminine, and her song carried an unforgettably sorrowful and intimate tone that rang clearly over the tavern's ambient bustle. Her long, firey, scarlet colored hair cascaded down over her back and shoulders in loose curls that swayed and bounced along with the strumming of her elaborately painted instrument. Her petite hands graced her lute with precision, and her bright green eyes conveyed a sense of sadness and experience that contrasted her smooth and youthful face. The pointed tips of her ears protruding from her bright red waves gave away her elven ancestry, though some of her features were more similar to a human woman. 

Astarion was quite familiar with half elves, though they tended to be somewhat rare in Baldur's Gate. They were often outcasts, finding difficulty immersing themselves in either human or elven circles, which tended to make them reasonable candidates for Cazador's abductions. Not many would take notice or bother to offer coin in search of a missing half elf. The alluring singer's frame was quite short and unimposing. She was probably too small to be a high elf, and her unusually green eyes were probably a sign of wood elf heritage, though she lacked the greenish tone in her skin, which was more pinkish and human looking in color. Her hips were wider and her curves were more generous than the typical elf as well. Everything about her would make her an excellent gift to his master. Her unique and exotic beauty as well as her enchanting voice and talent would probably please Cazador more than any of his other meager offerings. Her hair and gorgeous red dress were both a shade reminiscent of fresh blood, as well as the appealing flush of her cheeks and ears. It was as if she knew exactly how to make a vampire hungry with just her appearance. Maybe his master would even let him feed on a boar or a deer as a reward for such an exceptional offering…

Astarion's heart pounded in his chest. If he lured her to her death tonight, he would never hear her dazzling voice or gaze upon her unbelievable beauty ever again. Maybe Cazador would keep this one around for more than a single feeding. He might prolong her final days, demanding her nightly performance and tasting her every night, involving her in a number of unspeakable acts. A feeling of anger and disgust rose in his chest more intensely than he had felt since the beginning of his unholy servitude. The ravishing singer ended her slow and somber song with a round of applause. Astarion looked around at the audience who appeared to be quite enchanted by her performance as well, though he sensed a restless shuffling from the crowd at the drop in energy from a slower song. The bard appeared to read her audience, and nodded to one of her accompanying performers to start up a more lively beat. Astarion honestly hadn’t noticed any other instrumentalists at all until she turned her gaze towards them. She set down her lute and started engaging the crowd with a clapping beat. Soon she broke out in song about a folk hero who charmed the creatures of the forest with his flute. Several members of the audience joined her singing during the chorus. Either this song was very popular, or she played around here frequently. After another few verses, she pulled out a shiny, metallic flute seemingly out of nowhere and played a quick little melody along to the tune of the song, adding a bit of ornamentation and flare to the tune which seemed to rile and excite the crowd.

This would be a perfect time to slip away with a lonely audience member. A perfect distraction was laid out in front of him. He could easily slip a sleeping potion into someone’s wine, or guide a particularly drunken patron into the dark alley behind the tavern. The crowd was so focused on the performer it was unlikely anyone would notice one less person in the building...but Astarion remained glued in his seat in the back corner of the room. He kept his eyes focused on her radiant form for the rest of the set, enraptured by her siren song. Before he knew it, her final performance concluded and the tavern crowd had thinned significantly since Astarion first stepped in. 

_By the Hells_ , he thought nervously. His perfect distraction was over, and it would be much harder to grab a patron without notice now. The tavern began to clear out, and the performers started packing up their instruments. Astarion took this chance to slip out back onto the street. He shuddered at the thought of slinking back to Cazador empty handed, as he only had a few precious hours left before dawn.

He spotted a lone beggar on a mostly abandoned alleyway half asleep near a gutter. With the promise of a warm meal and work offered in the morning, the man hobbled along the road at Astarion’s side all the way to his master’s residence. He distracted himself from the feelings of buried guilt over his actions and his regret at not making his capture sooner in the night with the thought of the performer’s divine beauty and heavenly voice. The journey back to Cazador was torturously slow. Astarion knew his offer was subpar, passable at best. 

Indeed Cazador was displeased. It wouldn’t be the first time, but Astarion considered himself lucky that his punishment was an empty stomach for the day rather than a flaying. Astarion sat down to enter his elven trance in the relative safety of his meager dungeon quarters shielded from the sun. His stomach growled, and the last thing he thought of before entering a numb and restful trance was the bard’s blood-red hair, and the way her cheeks flushed a brighter shade of pink with each song performed. 

  
  
  


The next night Astarion returned to the same tavern. The only entertainment this time was a solo male performer with a weak voice and a hat with a large feather. A few patrons were watching unenthusiastically, a few heckles shouted here and there. He skirted unnoticed through the tavern and approached the community notice board. It was filled with quest offers, a few wanted posters, and some hand-drawn business advertisements. Astarion felt a subtle wave of relief that his portrait hadn’t yet made a wanted poster. His few former connections thought him long-dead, and he wondered if an artist would even be able to capture his likeness properly for a poster anyway. His gaze stopped on a paper with an illustration of a woman that looked very much like the performer from the night before. Her hair was painted in red, and text named her as “Bardra the Brave” including a performance schedule. She was set to perform three nights over the week solo, and accompanied by a group on weekends. _Perfect_ he thought. With that, he ripped the poster of her image and schedule off the board and tucked it into the pocket of his cloak. He planned to return the nights of her performance to lure forgotten souls from the audience back to his master with stealth and ease. Admittedly her beauty and ability was an exciting perk to his newly procured hunting grounds. 

Astarion’s next few offerings seemed to satisfy Cazador enough to allow him an end to his fast. He still received no greater reward than the blood of a chicken however. Each time he caught one of the bard’s performances, he found her allure only increased with each visit. The melodies of her soulful ballads became comforting and familiar to him, and he often found them dancing around his head at all hours of the night. He dared not stay too long lest he become enchanted and distracted again. He was already weakened from feeding solely on animals, and starving again would only make his missions more weary and tiring, but returning empty-handed would result in torture. 

The bard finished another dazzling performance, drawing cheer and praise from the crowd once again. Astarion decided that he better leave before getting pulled into another song, as he had to mind his time limit, considering there were no ideal candidates around the tavern on this night. He decided to cut his losses and leave before it got too late. He made his way to the door, and as the singer started her next song, her gaze shifted to Astarion’s cloaked form. He stopped in his tracks. As far as he knew, this was the first time she had noticed him in his handful of visits back to the tavern. A chill ran over his spine, and his stomach caught in his throat. He stood in place dumbstruck for a moment, caught up in her bewitching green eyes, hypnotized by her fixed gaze watching him. She was still singing her tune, this one in a lower and more solemn key. The words were about two lovers separated by war. She sang of a man who walked until his feet bled every night to meet his lover in a secret grove, only to mysteriously disappear one day, never to return again. The woman waited for him to return to her all night, but their secret grove frosted over and she died in her sleep from the cold. A single tear dropped down Astarion’s pale cheek, and the bard turned her intense and intimate gaze away from him. He suddenly came to his senses and rushed out the door of the tavern in a frenzy. He found himself in a dark back alley, and dropped to a crouch against the muddy cobblestone pavement. He caught his face in his hands and began to sob.

Astarion hadn’t cried in decades, maybe it had been a century even. He wasn’t sure why now of all times he was breaking down. Waves of fear, guilt, sadness, and regret washed over him. He hadn’t felt so vulnerable since the last time Cazador…

“What’s your fecking problem _swine,_ ” a nasty voice boomed above him. “Caught a mouthful of shit for supper? I reckon I could give ya something to cry about!” Astarion pulled his face away from his now watery palms to glare at the nasty, drunken human who was taunting him. Suddenly Astarion’s side was met with a sharp kick by his intoxicated harasser. His feelings of vulnerability switched instantly to a blinding rage, grasping the man’s leg with a force that near popped it from its socket. Within seconds, the man toppled over to the ground with Astarion's sharpened nails cutting painfully at his throat. Astarion was disgusted by the smell of stale alcohol in the man’s breath as he pleaded for mercy. Just as Astarion was about to crush his windpipe, he decided he could at least make him useful. Astarion leaned down and whispered into the terrified man’s ear that he would finish the job if he didn’t follow his every command. At least Cazador’s offering for the night was served without the tinge of remorse Astarion was accustomed to burying each night. 

  
  
  


The sound of rustling paper brought Astarion out of his elven trance. To his horror, Cazador was examining the poster of Bardra the Brave that Astarion had swiped from the tavern. Cazador took notice of Astarion’s widening eyes and uncomfortable posture, and his wry smirk grew into a maniacal grin.

“Bardra the Brave? Is this someone I should know about?” Cazador demanded with a torturous glimmer in his dark eye. Astarion held back a shudder.

“That paper happens to be nothing but a scrap of refuse I collected by accident. I was on my way to throw it out actually,” Astarion replied unconvincingly.

“I think I am in the mood for some entertainment, and it says she is playing tonight. How fortuitous!” Cazador eyed Asatarion with his burning gaze and prodded at him with his foot. I think the two of us will enjoy a night out on the town! He leaned down and gripped Astarion’s chin forcefully, turning Astarion’s face to meet his eyes. “As if you have a choice, _slave._ Perhaps you will enjoy yourself for once. Despite all my gifts, you still skulk around as if you have nothing to be grateful for.” His grip tightened on Astarion’s face, eliciting a fearful whimper. Seeming satisfied, Cazador chuckled loudly and threw his head back from his grip, causing Astarion to tumble backwards onto the floor. “Get up boy. Clean the mud off your clothes and be ready to leave within the hour. You know my patience is quite _thin_ when I am kept waiting.” Astarion nodded meekly.

“Yes master.” 

  
  


They reached the tavern, dressed more elegantly than usual. Surely enough, his half elf bard was there performing with a small group of musicians, the crowd already dancing and making merry at the entertainment. Cazador demanded the finest seat in the tavern, which ended up being a large table at the back of the building, still in view of the stage but removed from the boisterous crowd.

“What a tasty little half breed she is,” Cazador declared, tilting his head towards the performer known as Bardra. Astarion’s skin started to crawl. His throat nearly closed in dread. “It’s interesting you have yet to capture this delicious specimen for my enjoyment. Such unusually red hair she has too, and an enchanting voice to match. I wonder how she might sound when I make her scream like a whore. I might even let you watch this time.” Astarion felt completely ill. His face blanched and he felt like he might lose his balance. “No wonder you kept this little minx hidden away all this time. I bet you were planning to keep her all to yourself. What a selfish and ungrateful little servant you are, nothing but a lowly, disobedient cur. In fact I _command_ you to bring me her heart right now. I’m _famished.”_

“You want me too… in front of all these p-people?” Astarion stammered.

“Are you questioning a _direct order_ slave? Need I remind you what happened the last time you refused a command?” Cazador spat his threatening and damning words at Astarion. 

His vision became blurred and dark around the edges. Fear and horror consumed him, and an unseen force guided his feet slowly towards the performer’s stage. The crowd’s noise faded into a droning ring, as Astarion took steps towards the entertainer’s area. He reached the main gathering of the crowd cheering near the edge of the short stage, this time undistracted by their stench. He shakily turned his gaze up to Bardra. She was probably the most beautiful and magnificent woman he had set eyes on as far as his muddled and clouded memory could recall. He looked down at his pale, shaking hands. Was he really about to use them to commit murder? To murder the woman who had been haunting his thoughts, the woman he was admittedly infatuated with after coming to watch her only a handful of times? A force that was no match for Astarion’s damaged will reclaimed him. He pushed past the majority of the crowd until he was only a few paces from the front of the stage. This time his movement caught her eye. He was so close. Another thing for Cazador to ruin. Astarion cursed himself for daring to hope for anything for himself. He placed a hand on the edge of the stage, aware of all the eyes on the back of his head. He dared not look up at the woman again, or he would lose his nerve and Cazador would massacre everyone in the tavern.

Suddenly a booming noise filled his ears, and the band slowed to a discordant halt. A dragon’s shriek pierced the strange hush. A moment of deafening silence followed the shrieks, soon followed by screaming and panic. Astarion looked towards the door, and an explosion caused the wood of the building’s frame to blow to pieces, a shockwave knocking most of the patrons off their feet burst through the tavern, sending the performers flying off the stage in a loud crash. Astarion took the chance to rush towards the bard’s collapsed form, Cazador’s hold on him temporarily lost in the chaos. He found her semi buried in a heap of rubble next to her destroyed lute, a line of blood dripping down her cheek. She was unconscious, but thankfully not dead. 

A piercing ring overwhelmed Astarion’s senses, and the pain of the deafening screeching caused him to collapse on the floor, gripping his skull. The noise was almost as horrible as Cazador's torture. Almost as horrible. He caught sight of monstrous, tentacled beings charging into the crowded, ruined tavern. That was the last thing he saw before he blacked out. 

What happened next was a blur. He was slipping in and out of consciousness. He remembered moments of waking up inside a strange container with a window looking over alien architecture that looked like foreign tech mixed with eerie, pulsing flesh. He remembered seeing what looked like the bard being carried in by a tentacled monster, then his gaze was ripped away as a disgusting, fleshy slug was dropped into his eye. The pain of the creature crawling through his eye deep into his brain knocked him unconscious once more. The next thing he knew, the strange container that held him was dropped onto a beach, his prison ironically breaking the impact of the crash to the earth. He was ejected from the pod onto soft, warm sand.

The sun’s light was blinding. If it was daytime surely this was the end of Astarion, as he was a vampire after all. Soon he would be burned to a crisp and free of Cazador once and for all. Astarion pressed his face into the hot sand, taking in the novel feeling of the sun’s rays baking into his back, his whole body feeling truly warm for the first time in over a century. He allowed himself to relax, accepting his fate, ready to meet death. At that he slipped into a deep, undreaming trance, alone and unconscious on the beach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am writing this while the game is still in early access, so some details may not be canon eventually. This is my first time ever posting fanfiction, so please be kind! I am also pretty new at creative writing, so any constructive feedback would be greatly appreciated <3


	2. Companions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faeris wakes up on the beach and Astarion introduces himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The image inserted is just a little screenshot from one of my play throughs! Feel free to interpret the character's appearance however you want! Astarion's introduction scene in the game has NO business being that hot tbh.

A piece of shrapnel hit Faeris in the head and sent her flying off the Nautiloid. Just as she was bracing for a probably fatal impact, a mysterious force caught her body mid-air, suspending her upside-down less than an arm's reach above the soft sand. Faeris was convinced she was dreaming, but the hard thud of her body dropping to the ground brought her back to her senses. Whatever the mysterious force was that saved her was long gone, leaving her unsure if the whole ordeal really happened at all. 

Her whole body felt numb. It had been a while since desperate circumstances forced Faeris into battle. The last thing she could remember was playing at her usual tavern with her group. It was one of her biggest performances to date. She had never seen the tavern so packed and rowdy, and a strange hooded figure had even tried to climb onto the stage. Then there was an awful series of noises, followed by an impact that sent her flying off the stage. She didn't remember leaving the tavern, only waking up to the horrible sensation of something sentient and wriggling forced into her eye… 

Faeris' head pounded. She closed her eyes and rested in the sand for a moment. It was all too surreal. This had to be a nightmare, but if it was, then where was she and how did she get here? Her muscles ached. Slowly, she sat up and rubbed her temples. She reached into the pack she grabbed from a stranger's body on the ship and downed a health potion. That gave her the boost she needed to get onto her feet. 

_What happened to that Githyanki warrior I fought with on the ship? Was she real too?_ she thought. If she had any chance of rescue, she'd need to find some help. Faeris was quite skilled with a bow and daggers, and could even cast some simple cantrips, but she wouldn't consider herself a solo fighter. She was more than capable of handling herself in most situations, though she was unlikely to be able to take down one of those large, tentacled creatures on her own. Feeling lonely, she decided to summon one of her favorite familiars, a white rat named Piper. Growing up in a city full of wood elves in the forest taught her a deep respect for nature, and the skills to fight as a ranger.

Faeris dusted herself off and made her way through some of the ship's wreckage. She had to fight her way throughout some more intellect devourers, but luckily Piper was there to bite, scratch, and distract her foes. She was making her way through a path by the beach when she heard some frantic shouting. Following the voice, she eventually caught sight of a pale elf dressed in a dark, unusually lavish doublet for a stray wanderer. 

"Hurry, I've got one of those brain things cornered," the elf called out. Faeris put her hands on her hips skeptically, assessing the situation. He seemed nervous. Something was off. "There, in the grass. You can kill it, can't you? Like you killed the others." _So he was watching her?_

Faeris wanted to help at first, but she didn't exactly trust this elf just yet. He shifted around uncomfortably. If he couldn't be of any use to her in combat or help her figure out what the hells was happening, then she had no reason to stay and chat. After all, none of those creepy brain things were anywhere in sight. He probably planned to rob her.

"Kill it yourself," she said with a hint of sass. She scanned his body up and down. He was actually quite attractive, for an obvious highwayman in a probably stolen costume. "You look capable enough." She turned on her heel and started to walk away. 

"I was so hoping for a kind soul. Well, not to worry." Before she could take her next step, a knife was at her throat and she was pulled to the ground in a forceful thud. "Shhhhh. Not a sound. Not if you want to keep that darling neck of yours," he said into her ear at a near whisper, even though no one was around. The back of her neck tingled at the strangely intimate whispering in her ear. "Now I saw you on the ship didn't I? Nod." Faeris stayed silent, and responded with a confused half nod. The elf's eyes were so deep and bright red, she found herself unsure of how to reply. The way he had her pinned to the earth should cause her to fight back, but the way his other arm was gingerly cradling her back and the desperation in his eyes left her frozen and speechless.

Wait, he saw her on the ship? He was _there_ ? She remembered a dark haired woman stuck in one of those pods, and a few unconscious and dead humans. She didn't remember any blonde high elves with unusually sharp teeth on the nautiloid… but escaping the ship was such a strange blur she might have missed him. She was caught up in his blood red eyes like a deer in the headlights when her mind twisted. _She was looking out of unfamiliar eyes, prowling dark, busy streets. Faeris tried to hold the memory, but it started to fade. The light. The fear._

"What was that? What's going on?" he stammered. 

"It's the mind flayer's worm. It connected us." Faeris had no idea how she knew that but she did. She did feel something similar with the githyanki warrior on the ship, but they didn't really stop to chat about it, since their priority was getting to the helm in time. 

"I saw into your mind. They took you, just the same as me. And to think I was ready to decorate the ground with your innards. Apologies," he said sincerely, sheathing his dagger and taking her by the hand, helping her up. He brushed off some dirt and adjusted his clothing.

"You'd better have more to offer than _apologies,"_ she replied. The way she said it came out with a bit more of a suggestive edge than she intended. He smirked at her. 

"I'm out of wine and flowers, so I hope an introduction will suffice. My name is Astarion. I was in Baldur's Gate when those beasts snatched me." 

"I'm Faeris. I live in Baldur's Gate too. Well _lived_." Astarion looked at her quizzically as if she had given him the wrong name. 

"Is that so? We clearly move in different circles," he said with a hint of darkness in his eyes. "So, do you know anything about these worms?" He looked down and shifted his feet a bit. 

"You know about as much as I do," Faeris replied honestly. The whole situation was just too bizarre to believe. 

"You should travel with me. Our odds are better together," she blurted without thinking. 

"I was ready to go this alone, but sticking with the herd isn't such a bad idea. And _you_ seem like a useful person to know." Her cheeks turned slightly pink. "Alright. I accept. Lead on." 

"This is Piper by the way." She scratched her rat friend behind the ear, and held him up to meet Astarion. Piper offered him a meager squeak, then popped out of her hands scampered off, poofing away as if he was never there.

" _Charming_ ," Astarion replied, with a hint of disgust in his voice.

"Sorry! He can be shy when he isn't fighting monsters," she offered with a warm chuckle. 

Faeris wasn't sure why she agreed to travel with a strange elf who held a knife to her throat only moments before. Something about their unusual mental connection caught her off guard, and he seemed to know more than he let on. It didn't hurt that his appearance was…pleasant to the eyes, but she decided that it would be unwise to trust him or think of him that way. 

The two newly introduced companions made their way on the road, running into several other unique characters that seemed to have some knowledge of the situation, all infected with a mind flayer parasite. They decided they should all travel together, as their odds of survival increased as a team. Faeris was exhausted from the day, but was also feeling hopeful that she just might survive if she could find a healer like the dark cleric Shadowheart insisted. 

After traveling for a day that felt more like a week, Faeris decided to suggest that the group settle in for a night in what seemed like a reasonable clearing for a campsite. Soon, the companions were gathered by the fire, enjoying some rabbit stew prepared by the wizard Gale. No one was talking much, as everyone seemed a bit weary, and in varying degrees of distrust at the other party members. Faeris hated awkward silences. As an entertainer, nothing was worse than a bored crowd. 

Faeris glanced around at her new party members. Shadowheart was beautiful, though there was something dark and mysterious about her that made Faeris feel… slightly suspicious. Lae'zel honestly terrified her, but her aid in battle on the nautiloid and fighting the goblins in front of the Silvanus Grove proved too useful to ignore. Gale was handsome in a conventional sort of way, but he ruined any possible attraction every time he opened his mouth. _Gods_ that man would not stop talking. Usually Faeris enjoyed an engaging conversation, but the way Gale talked just put her off entirely. He was a deadly battle wizard and a decent chef, however. Wyll was also quite handsome, but when their minds connected, she realized he already had his focus on a different redhead who seemed to have horns and wings. She enjoyed his company and conversation though, and thought she could possibly see him in a brotherly way one day. 

Faeris permitted herself to look over at Astarion. He was watching the flames of the campfire, and his face looked taught and pained. The soft flicker of the fire gave his expression an intense heat, casting his normally white hair and pale skin in a golden glow. Astarion’s eyes shifted over to her, suddenly aware of being watched. Faeris blushed and turned her head away. She thought she caught the glimpse of another one of his toothy smirks. _Hells_ she thought. The last thing she needed right now was to be distracted by a broody high elf with fangs and red eyes. 

She didn't know too many high elves personally. Her old wood elf community tended to be distrustful of the high elves’ reckless use of magic, forbidding Faeris from learning more than simple, practical spells herself. She had been mistaken for a high elf more than once, since she lacked the more greenish or warm toned skin common to her people. Instead, she inherited her mother's pinkish human skin. Was it normal for high elves to have sharp teeth and red eyes like that? If she didn't see him walking around in broad daylight, she would have figured him a vampire. She couldn't stop thinking about the hungry and intense way he looked at her when he tackled her. Whatever it was, there was something he was hiding.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you are enjoying the first two chapters! I'm planning to switch between Astarion's and Faeris' perspectives every other chapter ;)


	3. Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astarion takes the last watch at camp and reminisces about his newfound situation and past experiences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This very brief chapter is full of vampire angst and a bit of good old pining.

Astarion took the last watch, feeling out of place among his new party. Astarion was used to keeping more… nocturnal company. Faeris had offered to stay up with him, and he almost took her up on that, but the dark circles under her hypnotizing green eyes revealed how worn out she was. Her eyes. When they were on the ground together the day before, he noticed the ring of golden specs around her pupils that stood out from her emerald irises. Her cheeks were also spotted with sparse, faint freckles he hadn’t noticed until he was close enough to her angelic face to feel her breath on his skin. Something in him longed to be that close to her again, but it could never happen. He already ruined it by attacking and threatening her the day before.

Astarion felt a wave of guilt and shame as soon as he lifted her from the ground. A combination of the confusion of walking in the sun without burning to a crisp and Cazador’s last command swimming in his head put him temporarily out of control yesterday. Cazador ordered him to rip out her heart, and he almost did. But if he was able to get so close to her without really hurting her, and he could walk in the daylight, did that mean he was free of Cazador? No. Impossible. His master always found a way to break him down in new and unique ways. Cazador thrived on giving his slaves a hint of hope, only to violently rip it away soon later. Either the tadpole in his brain was doing this, or it was all part of one of Cazador’s elaborate schemes, though the abduction by the mind flayers made that unlikely. 

Astarion looked over the sleeping crew. Everyone had their own little spot claimed around camp a few paces from each other. There wasn’t much privacy in a camp like this, not that Astarion was used to much privacy. His glance fell over Faeris. She was sleeping softly by the fire, her chest shifting subtly in tandem with her breath. She looked so peaceful resting there, and a part of him envied the half elf’s ability to sleep. High elves meditated into a trance instead. Sure it restored his energy and mana, but it didn’t offer as much of an escape as the way humans talked about dreaming. Slipping into a black void would indeed help to quiet his screaming thoughts. The last few days hadn’t been entirely bad, but they were a lot to process. 

A branch crunched in the forest, and Astarion jumped. A part of him expected it to be Cazador sneaking up behind him, ready to drag him back to his prison and torture him in some new and horrible way. But unusually a horrifying part of him almost… missed Cazador, as fucked up as that sounded. The disquiet of not knowing where he was or when he might show up to destroy him all over again was almost unbearable. The worst part of being eternally bound to a true vampire was their influence over their progeny’s feelings and emotions. Cazador could manipulate Asatrion’s mind at will. He could make him cower in fear, beg for affection, and then cause unbearable pain that distorted and twisted his mind beyond recognition. Cazador had stolen most of the memories of his life before he became a vampire. He remembered being beaten to the brink of death as a magistrate by some disgruntled townsfolk, then Cazador appeared from the darkness and offered him relief from the pain and an immortal life of power... 

Faeris let out a whimper and shifted in her sleep. Her once peaceful expression became twisted and contorted with what Astarion recognized all too well as pain, fear, and agony. Her fists became tense and she started to squirm around in torment. Astarion felt something he hadn’t felt in years- sympathy. 

Astarion spent quite a bit of time thinking about who she might be. He was surprised to find that she was quite proficient with a longbow for a petite singer, and that her name wasn’t really Bardra, which seemed somewhat obvious in hindsight. He couldn’t believe that out of all the people he might run into on that beach, she was the one who first found him. She fell right into his hands, quite literally and quite ironically. He wanted her, but how long would his break from servitude last? 

"No. no. NO!" she exclaimed, then bolted upright. She hazily wiped the sweat from her forehead before settling back down into her sleeping pelt, her rest less peaceful than it first was. Astarion wanted to help her. He wanted to comfort her, but there was nothing he could really do. His stomach growled. It had been days since he last fed. Even Piper was starting to look tasty. Almost reading his thoughts, the white rat scurried up to him, bit his toe, then ran away. _Nasty creature_ he thought. Astarion was a bit too worn out to go hunting tonight unfortunately. He considered sneaking a bite from one of his companions, since the sweet smell of their blood and the sound of their heartbeats was difficult to ignore. He’d surely be abandoned by his new group of companions if he was caught though. Drinking from any creature advanced enough to think was absolutely forbidden, and he was half convinced Cazador would appear the moment he sank his teeth into the flesh of one.

Astarion pushed away his hunger and settled onto one of the soft skins used for bedding. He settled into his meditative position, casting his senses around the area for any hint of danger. He wasn’t used to contributing to a group past providing human sacrifices unwillingly. If he could do anything for his group, for _her_ , he could protect them at night when they were the most vulnerable. After all, he was probably one of the most powerful vampires for leagues now that he could walk in the sun and was free of Cazador, for now. Admittedly, the damn tadpole was one of the best things to happen to him in a century. His group was determined to remove the parasites as soon as possible, but doing so would surely force him back to torture and servitude. The alternative was turning into a mind flayer, however. Astarion shuddered. It must be more complicated than that though. Something saved his life when the crash should have killed him, and someone must have given him the ability to daywalk, but _who_ would do such a thing _,_ and _why_ would anyone mess with his abilities like that? Running water still burned like acid, and he wasn’t sure if he had to be invited into buildings anymore. 

How much time left did Astarion even have? Maybe he should try and make the most of his “lucky” situation while he had the chance, since it could all end at any moment. Looking over at Faeris, his heart began to ache. Why was he so enamored by her? Sure she was beautiful and talented, but so were a lot of his past victims. His _victims_ . How many people’s deaths he was somewhat responsible for was unknown to him. What would his companions do if they found out he was truly an evil murderer? Sure he was bound to a master forcing him to commit unspeakable atrocities, but they were still committed by his own hands. He didn’t _want_ to hurt anyone, but the decades of killing left him numb to the guilt and regret until quite recently. Astarion was honestly afraid to open up his emotions, and he was afraid to care. The more he cared, the more he could be hurt. 


	4. Lute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group visits the grove, meets a bard, and then shit goes down back at camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to update all the chapters with pictures/screenshots of the game. It took me like half an hour to figure out how to embed them in the chapters lol! How are we feeling about them? Do they enhance the story, or are they distracting? Let a bardcore bitch know!

Faeris woke up in a cold sweat. She was used to stress dreams and nightmares, though some of them just felt so vivid. She did not experience the deep and restful sleep she was hoping for. The light of dawn softly illuminated the camp, and Faeris noticed that her party members were just starting to rise. The mood of her dream had her in a morose and irritable state. It didn’t help that she wasn’t much of a morning person, and she was used to sleeping late into the day so that she would have the energy to perform late into the night. Every time she started to forget the overwhelming loss and loneliness she experienced starting with her childhood in an effort to move on, her brain painted sick and twisted pictures of the past that she was trying to forget. Faeris rubbed her eyes, sat up, and stretched. As she stood up, she caught a glance of Astarion coming back from the woods with some tinder for the campfire. 

“How’d you sleep darling?” he asked her in his generally charming fashion.

“Okay, I guess,” she lied, then unconvincingly covered a yawn. 

“Mmhm,” Astarion muttered, dropping some branches into the flames. Faeris ran a hand through her hair. It was incredibly tangled and sticking up in several places. She sighed, and began to address the knots. 

A few minutes later, the group reconvened and discussed their plan of moving on to find a healer, or at least anyone who had information about the tadpole issue. The party headed on to the Druid’s grove to see if they could find any leads. Faeris stopped at a halfling merchant’s stand to sell some extra items, and was rewarded with a clearer inventory and a nice little bag of gold. Asking around, they were pointed to an apprentice healer of the druid Halsin. An apprentice was unlikely to have the skill or experience to solve much about their current predicament, but it was at least worth a try. 

On the way to the grove, Faeris encountered a pair of tiefling children with a hastily set up booth. One of them was offering “magic rings.” It was clear to the whole party that there was nothing special or enchanted about the rings, but Faeris took pity on the refugee children.

“Magic you say? Guess I better take them all then,” Faeris said with a sweet smile. The tiefling children looked astonished, but not so much so as her traveling companions. 

“You bought something. You actually bought something!” exclaimed the child who sold her the junk.

“I’m happy to be the patron of a young businessman. After all, there's rings here for my whole party! Surely we’ll be unstoppable against the goblins with our newfound magical abilities,” Faeris replied, trying not to giggle. She made plenty of gold from the halfling merchant selling scavenged items, and she felt like a few coins spent on some silly gifts for her companions couldn’t hurt. They could always be resold later.

“Tchhk. Why do you insist on wasting our money on junk, _half elf?”_ Spat Lae’zel.

“It would be almost charming if the situation wasn’t so desperate. We are wasting time, let us move on to find this healer’s apprentice,” added Shadowheart. Faeris handed out the rings before they decided to move on to the druid’s grove. Most of her companions just tucked them into their packs hurriedly before heading on. When she handed the one called the Ring of Infinite Wishes to Astarion, he flinched a bit as their fingers touched. He looked at her as if he hadn’t received a gift in centuries. He eyed the ring suspiciously, then slipped it onto his little finger, and it happened to be a perfect fit. Faeris giggled a bit and covered her mouth shyly. Astarion’s expression seemed to be somewhere between embarrassment and bewilderment, and Faeris’ cheeks became slightly pink. She turned to catch up with Shadowheart and Lae’zel who were already charging forward. 

Faeris exited the apprentice Nettie’s hut still feeling ill, but glad she was able to procure an antidote in time. The encounter was largely a waste of time, though the group was at least pointed in Halsin’s direction. Apparently, he was most likely being held in an abandoned temple up the road occupied by a large number of hostile goblins, if he was even still alive at all. The scouting party he belonged to was returning when Faeris and her companions first tried to enter the area occupied by the tieflings. They could be wasting their time on a wild goose chase, but it was the best lead they had so far, other than some mysterious githyanki creche Lae’zel was insistent about them finding. Besides, Wyll was very insistent that they investigate the goblin’s forces. He was convinced that they were a threat to everyone, and needed to be systematically taken out. He suggested they make their way in to find the leaders in order to "cut off the head of the dragon."

Faeris did not love the idea of slaughter, especially without a known cause, but she did feel sympathetic towards the druids of the grove. She had fond memories of the druids from her wood elf tree city home, and respected their dedication to nature. The calm attitude of the druids was a pleasant contrast to the harsh and demeaning way many of the other pureblooded wood elves treated her growing up as one of the only half elves in the secluded forest city that she once called home. She also felt sympathy for the tiefling refugees. Most of them just wanted safety for their only remaining family members. Faeris also knew how it felt to be left without a place that felt like home or safety. If a choice was to be made, she was more on the side of taking out the goblin camp if it had to be done, though she would take no joy in the murder of any creature. 

Exiting the grove, Faeris heard a bit of strained singing coming from one of the cliffs. Following the sound, she came across a Tiefling bard in a colorful and flashy outfit. She was working on a tune that wasn't quite coming together, and she was visibly and audibly frustrated. Faeris asked her if she was okay. The bard, introducing herself as Alfira, explained to her how her music teacher and most of her family were lost making it to the grove, and that she was probably next. 

"Can I do anything to help?" Faeris asked, itching to participate in something musical.

"Hm. It can't hurt. I have her... I have an extra lute, if you want? See if you can play along." Faeris' eyes lit up. She took the spare lute gently and gave it a few strums, adjusting the tuning of a few strings. Soon the two entertainers were strumming along to the work in progress. As Faeris kept up, adding her own ornamentation to the piece by cleverly plucking the strings, Alfira continued to add to the verse. Faeris' heart rose in her chest. It was starting to sound like a real song! Alfira started belting a new part about the moon and sun reminding her of her lost loved ones, and it sent a chill down Faeris' spine. A few lines later, the entertainers stopped strumming, and Astarion started clapping. Even Lae'zel and Shadowheart seemed intrigued. Faeris and Alfira beamed. 

"Okay you can keep the lute. You earned it," offered Alfira. 

"Are you sure? Thank you!" she replied, trying to force back the tears that were threatening to form. She never had the chance to mourn the loss of her prized lute. It was crafted by her father, a guild artisan specializing in finely crafted instruments in the wood elf city, and it was one of the only things she had left from home. It was smashed to pieces during the mind flayer invasion, destroyed in the blast. At least now she had something to practice with in the mean time if she was ever able to spare the moment, and she had just learned a new song from the tiefling, at least part of a new song, that felt both beautiful and haunting. To her, the gifted lute was a symbol of hope and encouragement, even if it was a small one. 

  
  
  


The group left the grove, and headed down the path that led to the temple full of goblins they were looking for. Along the way, they encountered a dying dwarf with a few companions. The dwarf was infected with one of the tadpoles, and Fearis was able to connect to his mind before he died. He had called her an _Absolute_ , whatever the hells that meant. 

The dwarf had been attacked by an owlbear, which Faeris was able to track down using her training as a ranger. They had to slay the hostile owlbear mother, but they somehow ended up with her young owlbear cub to shelter at their camp, due to Wyll’s advanced beast speech. There was something cute and creepy about the cub. She felt bad about killing its mother, but the strange creature had actually seemed pretty unphased by the whole thing. It even tried to eat a bit of its mother's carcass before they left. Fearis was sensitive to the emotions and feelings of animals, but she was not able to hear their thinking and communication in words like Wyll could, despite her greatest efforts. The most she could do was share basic thoughts and intentions through images with her conjured familiars. Even her rat Piper rarely had much to share. 

Moving on to a bridge in sight, Shadowheart brought up how much she missed the food in Baldur’s Gate, especially the fish. Gale pretended to be insulted, and lamented that she didn’t like his stews. _A woman with shadows for eyes_ was his first comment to Shadowheart, obviously wasting no time, and he hadn’t given up on her despite her constant apathy towards his comments. Faeris thought that Gale could be a bit much sometimes, but was surely grateful for his cooking. She wouldn’t have lasted for long relying on her own culinary abilities. Astarion complained at the lack of available red meat. 

Approaching the bridge, the group came across a dead boar left along the path. Leaning down to examine the corpse, Faeris found that it had been strangely drained of blood, though the body was largely intact. Looking up at her companions, she saw mixed expressions of curiosity, but Astarion seemed as ready as ever to move on. Looking back at the body, she noticed some peculiar bite marks around the boar’s neck that she almost missed.

“A vampire has been through here recently,” Wyll stated coldly and confidently. 

“Good to know! Moving on shall we?” Astarion replied after a moment of silence. Faeris examined Astarion’s expression. He was projecting a bored stance with his arms crossed in indifference, though his feet were shifting from side to side a bit. She finished eyeing him suspiciously, then shrugged and stood back up. 

“Guess we’ll find out or we won’t. Good thing Astarion stays up so late during the night watch,” Faeris said before heading on. Faeris could swear she felt eyes on the back of her neck as she traveled on from that encounter, but whenever she turned around, she just saw her companions following her with mostly neutral expressions. 

Approaching the entrance to a blighted village, the party was ambushed by a rag-tag group of goblins. They were ready to attack, but Faris was able to use her tadpole connection to force her way through peacefully, convincing the goblin that she was really an Absolute. Whatever that was about meant a lot to the goblins for some reason, but her useful power caused her head to pound. By the time they found another portal rune in the mostly abandoned village, Faeris was absolutely exhausted and ready to return to camp. 

  
  
  


Back in camp, Faeris studied her companion’s nightly rituals. She felt a little better after sitting down and eating Gale’s prepared dinner. Everyone had cleared their own areas around camp, though no one strayed too far from the fire that seemed to promise light and safety. Shadowheart looked busy examining something in her hands, though her back was turned and Faeris couldn’t see what she was messing with. Gale was reading through a large tome intently, though he snuck a few glances over to Shadowheart when he seemed to think she wasn’t looking. Lae’zel was busy sharpening her great axe furiously next to Wyll, who was polishing his rapier with a distant look in his eyes. Astarion was just lying on his bedroll, staring up at the sky with an expression that was difficult to read, but there was something melancholy about his energy. A few quiet minutes passed before the pain began. 

Judging by everyone’s tortured looks, they were feeling it too. The group sat around in agony and paranoia for a few seconds before Lae’zel jumped up and threatened to murder everyone. Luckily, the group was able to talk her down, and Wyll was able to convince her to try to lay down and sleep, promising he would end her the moment she started to change. The group said their solemn goodbyes to each other, though Faeris tried to remain optimistic for the sake of the group. After all, they had made it way longer than they were supposed to, and maybe they still had a chance. This could just be food poisoning or a weird side effect of using the tadpole’s power. Her whole body ached, and she was sweating feverishly. 

Soon enough it was quite late and quite dark, and everyone was settled in their bedrolls, twisting around uncomfortably. Astarion sat up in his area keeping watch wearily, while everyone else was already asleep, judging by the sounds of their snoring. Faeris was positively wiped out, but her mind was keeping her up in fear. This wasn’t her first experience with insomnia, and she had learned the recipe to make a sleep-inducing tea from a collection of herbs she was able to find while foraging along the path on their travels. She gave up on sleep and got up to make the tea, gathering the herbs from her pack and setting them to boil in a small, stolen kettle over the fire. Her head pounded waiting for the sleeping tea to brew, and it started to settle to a numb throbbing as she breathed in the calming vapors. Most everyone else was dead asleep by now, and Faeris let herself fully start to worry, feeling alone for the first time that night. As if reading her thoughts, Astarion rose from his subtle mediation and sat next to her by the fire. 

“What are you making there hm? It’s a strange hour for tea drinking. I thought you’d be asleep by now. You look positively _exhausted_.”

“It’s a sleeping tea,” she replied, pouring herself a cup. “I’m a bit too nervous about this whole thing to fall asleep.”

“I thought you were sure it was just a side effect,” he mentioned, summoning a weak but sly smile. 

“I sure hope it is,” Faeris answered, sipping her tea. She was already feeling a bit more sleepy. “How rude of me. Would you like a cup?” she asked politely. 

“Oh no dear, we full-blooded elves don’t sleep. We just meditate,” he replied with a wink. Faeris immediately blushed, covering her mouth in embarrassment. Of course she knew that. She was one of the only people who slept back at her wood elf home city. This often led to a comparison between her and the animals in the keep she often looked after at night. 

“I knew that. How embarrassing,” she said, uncovering her mouth. Astarion’s subtly toothy grin widened into a genuine smile. 

“Why not? I might be dead soon enough anyway. It couldn’t hurt to give it a try.” Astarion reached for her cup, his cold hand covering her fingers that gripped the handle. Her blush deepened, and he raised an eyebrow at her. “May I?” he asked. Faeris released the cup and watched him draw it to his pale lips with a soft expression. He raised his pinky decorated with the Tiefling boy’s ring at her in mock politeness as he sipped from the tea. As the liquid hit his tongue, his eyes widened, and he drew away the cup. He raised his fist to his mouth, attempting to cover a slight gag.

“That bad huh? Good thing we have Gale with us to prepare meals,” she said cheerily, but with a hint of embarrassment.

"It's just that tea isn't exactly… my drink." He was still wearing the silly ring she gave him, endearingly titled the Ring of Infinite Wishes by the boy. She found the simple gesture of making the effort to still wear the ring sweet. She gazed at the fire distractedly for a few seconds, her cheeks pink and heated. When she looked back at Astarion, he was already looking at her, with a deep and hungry intensity in his eyes. Without a word, he started to move towards her slowly. Faeris’ heart dropped in her chest and she stood up a little too abruptly, feeling a bit dizzy. The combination of the pain from the tadpole and the sleepiness from the tea caused her to wobble a bit, though Astarion was quick to dart up and catch her from falling back. 

“Let’s get you to bed then,” he said, helping her over to her bedroll. She laid down wordlessly, mortified at her stumble into his arms, but grateful for his touch and support. “Goodnight _darling._ Sweet dreams,” he said, winking at her again. “I’ll stay up and keep watch. Apparently there’s a vampire on the loose. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to that pretty little neck of yours now would we?” he said, referencing the conversation they had while pressed to the ground near the beach when she first found him. She blushed an even deeper shade of crimson, clearly remembering the event in detail. 

“Sweet dreams. I mean goodnight!” She said back, clearly flustered. Astarion chuckled softly and settled back into his meditative position, listening for any potential dangers. The tea was starting to become too powerful to ignore, and the last thing she saw before succumbing to sleep was Astarion laying down on his bedroll as if falling over. That was not usual for him.

Faeris entered a deep and vivid dream. Someone attractive and familiar was caressing her skin softly and sweetly, but something about it felt wrong. Something about it felt like a trap. Her dreams were never this lovely or pleasant, even with the help of sleeping tea. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw Alfira's song in the game is SO GOOD. It's called The Weeping Dawn if you want to look it up if you haven't heard it yet. She's hanging out near the druid's circle at the cliffs before the harpy area in game. She's easy to miss! It took me a few play throughs to find her.


	5. Hunger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They have the first major tadpole dream, the group explores the blighted village, and a certain someone gets caught peeping. NSFW content starts here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 2/2/2021:
> 
> Original art now included at the end by yours truly! It is nsfw so be warned before you scroll to the end.

Astarion jolted up, awakened from a disturbing vision of Cazador. It was like he was right there just a moment before. In the dream, unheard of in elves, he could feel Cazador’s presence like he was right behind them. He rushed to hide in the vision of a dark forest, but Cazador kept calling out to him, reminding him of his rules, twisting his mind with his vile influence. 

Astarion let out a deep breath. The painful vision was over, and he was back in camp with his party. A part of him was sure last night was the end, though another part of him was almost glad to be rid of Cazador once and for all. It was foolish to think he could _ever_ be free of his eternal tormentor. The fever and pain was so intense the night before, but now he felt much better, stronger even. His veins rushed with a newfound power. Looking around camp, his companions all seemed to be a similar state of relief and confusion. Faeris walked up to him.

“Well Hello. Feeling better are we?” he asked her. “Last night, the risk of transformation - it all feels like some terrible dream now.”

“I feel much better. What about you?” She almost was glowing.

“I don’t feel like my head’s about to split open, so that’s an improvement. But my dreams last night were… strange.” 

“Bad dreams? Mine were interesting.” She said slyly, fishing for information. “Are you all right?”

“Oh yes I’m quite alright. _Interesting_ you say? What did you see?” he asked, desperately curious. 

“What the tadpole wanted me to. I don’t trust any of it,” she answered, dodging the question. 

“Yes clearly, but did you _enjoy_ it?” he pressed.

“It was alluring, but obviously a trap.” Her arms were crossed, and she wasn’t going to budge.

“Obviously. I had the very same dream of course. It was very...enticing,” he lied. 

“What did you really dream about? You can trust me.” It was her turn to press him. 

“I dreamt of him. My old Master, Cazador.” His words erupted before he could stop himself. Her eyes dropped, and her expression paled. 

“That doesn’t sound very enticing,” she replied cautiously. “Are you alright?” 

“I’m _fine.”_ He was honestly embarrassed for sharing more than he meant to. He really just admitted that he was a slave? How was she even supposed to respond to that? He resented himself for making it awkward. She gazed at him sympathetically. He was enjoying her attention, but he _hated_ to be pitied. He wouldn’t admit it, but it made him feel small and weak. She reached a hand towards his shoulder, but the sudden movement toward his body made him flinch instinctively. He brushed her hand away before he realized that she was probably just trying to help. Astarion wasn’t used to being comforted, at least by someone without an ulterior motive. 

“No. I don’t need your pity. I don’t need _anything_ from you.” He stormed off in a huff, mortified at his own automatic rejection of her touch. She looked genuinely hurt.

Astarion walked off into the woods, thinking he would try to hunt, but he turned back almost as soon as he lost sight of the camp. He needed to get his behavior under control. Every time he started to get close to her, he ended up ruining it by losing control and lashing out. Speaking of losing control, he had to figure a way to control the tadpole. It might be enhancing his powers now, but it was also giving him unacceptably vivid dreams of Cazador, and he could still change into a mind flayer at any moment. The uncomfortable truth was that removing the tadpole probably meant an inevitable return to Cazador, and _nothing_ could be worse than that. 

Returning to camp, his companions were all idly chatting and going about their business, but Faeris was nowhere to be seen. He wanted to apologize to her for acting like a maniac again. Astarion wasn’t one to ask for help, so instead of asking anyone where she might be, he decided to go find her himself. He took the path down by the river, and soon enough he spotted her near the shore, just out of sight of the camp. It was really her red hair that he first spotted, since it was so bright and recognizable. Astarion wondered how she was able to use stealth in combat as a ranger without getting spotted everytime. It was almost like a beacon to him. Her back was turned to him, but he didn’t call out to her. He wasn’t sure what to say. 

Unaware of his presence, she pulled at the fingers of her glove with her other uncovered hand, delicately slipping them off digit by digit before removing it entirely and setting it on a rock near the shore, next to the other glove. With both hands free, she started to undo the fascenings of her leather body armor. She didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to return to camp it seemed. Now would have been the appropriate time for Astarion to make his presence known, or at least turn around and pretend he didn’t see her there. Instead he was frozen in place with a hungry look in his eyes, and his mind was silent for once in his miserable life.

Faeris removed the leather covering from her torso and placed it gingerly on a soft patch of grass near her gloves. Then, she leaned down and peeled off her trousers, stepping out of each leg and setting them over the pile of discarded clothes. The only thing covering her body were some thin, cloth undergarments that clinged to her curves in an appealing way. Faeris reached into her messy bun that was threatening to unveil itself, pulling out a tie, and letting her long hair cascade over her uncovered shoulders. She finally stepped out of her boots and placed them carefully away from the stream. Astarion was starving. 

She turned around as she bent to set her shoes in a dry location. Faeris was about to look up at him when he instinctively jolted back into an area shaded by a large tree. Even though it was broad daylight, she didn’t seem to notice him. Astarion could now see a frown on her beautiful face, which might have made him feel guilty if he wasn’t so aroused. He wanted to take her in his arms, and caress her soft skin. Last night they had shared an intense moment where he came close to...honestly he wasn’t sure if he was going to kiss her or bite her. She just looked so delicious in every way, and he swore he could see a hint of wanting in her eyes when they were sitting by the fire last night. He really thought he was going to die that night, and he half considered making the most of his time left, though he wasn’t sure exactly what it might have entailed. 

She was probably right to get up last night and get away from him, because he probably would have just hurt her, considering the way he tended to act around her. If he had started anything, he would have undoubtedly gone too far, making the whole surviving the tadpole fever thing most likely regrettable. He was feeling better than ever, and her body was presented right before him. If only he could walk up to her, press himself against her petite frame, and taste her lips with a passion forbidden to him for the last 200 years. He wasn’t sure what part of her body he wanted to explore first. As if reading his thoughts, she started to reach for the clasp keeping her small top secured to the thin straps. He could be there to undo it in an instant.

“Has anyone seen Astarion?” Lae’zel called loudly from camp. _Shit._ His time was up. He was acting like an absolute creep anyway. Astarion was trying to sneak back to camp unnoticed, but Wyll was blocking his path, clearly waiting for him.

“I know what you were up to. I had a feeling there was something off about you my friend.” The way Wyll said _friend_ was not very friendly. He eyed Astarion coldly, his arms crossed firmly against his chest. “She told us she was going off for a quick bath. Then the next thing I know I catch you sneaking through camp and off to the river like a real peeping tom.” Astarion had nothing to say in his defense. “First you hurt her feelings and now you spy on her. What were you even going to do?” 

“Nothing,” Astarion replied through his teeth. “I was just going to apologize.” Wyll remained clearly unconvinced. 

“Look, if I catch you pulling another move like this, I’ll be sure to tell her _exactly_ what you’ve been up to.” 

“Be sure to do that, _my friend_.” Astarion pushed past him and returned to the main camp area by the fire. Gale was finishing up breakfast. A few minutes later, Faeris returned to camp, cleaner and cheerier than when she left. Her wet hair was neatly combed into a thick ponytail with an intricate braid running along the side of her head. She looked absolutely elegant. Astarion shameless eyed her now fully clothed form, wishing they were both back down by the river out of sight of camp, unclothed and unburdened by a list of impending dangers. 

  
  


The whole group was feeling better than ever after waking up from their strange fantasies, and itching to do something with their newfound energy. They decided to dig around the abandoned village for anything useful. They ended up saving a gnome, exploring a cavern, and narrowly avoiding death after opening some doors they shouldn’t have. The party saw more parts of a giant than they ever wanted to. It was a harrowing experience to say the least. The group finished exploring the blighted village, then headed down the road until the temple of Selune was in sight. They didn’t have to get too close to hear the goblins cacophony from the road. They had definitely found the right place, and with quite a bit of luck, they might even be able to rescue the lost druid, and get one step closer to understanding the tadpoles. The group decided to return to camp to reset before confronting the goblin stronghold. Once they entered the gates, there was no saying what could come next. 

The group was relatively quiet back at camp. Shadowheart declared she was going to get a full night of sleep to prepare for the battles that surely lied ahead. The rest of the group soon followed suit. Eventually, Faeris and Astarion were the only two awake again. He took his seat next to her by the fire, keeping a respectable distance. 

“I suppose you want to hear about Cazador?”

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.” Her tone was a little colder than it was earlier, but there was still genuine concern in her voice. 

“I’d rather not say a damned thing, but that won’t do us any good.” Astarion took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He explained who Cazador was; the patriarch of the vampire coven that Astarion unwillingly served. 

“He turned me nearly two hundred years ago. I became his spawn and he became my tormentor.” He explained that Cazador was power hungry and ruthless in many ways, but especially hungry to control people, body and soul. He also revealed that he had been turned over 200 years ago. It took her a few moments to take it all in. Her expression was solemn, but concerned.

“How were you turned? Did he attack you?” she finally asked. 

“Not him no. A gang of thugs attacked me, angry about a ruling that I’d handed down as magistrate. They beat me to death’s door when Cazador appeared. He chased them off and offered to save me. To give me _eternal life._ Given that my choices were ‘eternal life’ or ‘bleed to death on the street’, I took him up on the offer. It was only afterwards I realised just how long _eternity_ could be.”

“You’ve been a slave ever since?” she asked cautiously. 

“A vampire spawn is less than a slave. They’re a puppet. We have no choice but to obey our master’s commands. They speak and our bodies react.” Repressed memories of Cazador started flooding his mind, and he started to become slightly angry again. 

“It’s all part of the deal. Sometimes he’d order us to submit to torture. Sometimes he’d have us torture ourselves. Whatever his weathervane mood settled on.” Astarion was becoming visibly upset, but he convinced himself to keep it together. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe slowly. 

“You’re free now. I hope you enjoy that freedom,” Faeris said encouragingly. She slowly reached for his cold hand, trying again for physical reassurance. This time, rather than flinching away from her warm and inviting touch, he took both her hands in his gently but urgently.

“I will, but I won’t take it for granted.” He squeezed her hands in his, and sighed. “The mind flayers aren’t the only monsters out there. And they might not be the only ones hunting us,” he admitted in a soft voice. “All I’m asking is that you keep your eyes open. And watch out for anything lurking in the shadows.” He really wanted her to be safe. He would do whatever it took to protect her, but he wasn’t exactly successful at hiding things from Cazador in the past. 

“I’ll watch your back, don’t worry.” She looked at him seriously with her intense green and gold eyes. Their hands were still intertwined. Despite everything, she really seemed to care, and her compassion scared him a little. He was more afraid of himself than anything else. A part of him felt like he didn’t deserve her, especially having just watched her undressing without turning away or making himself known. He felt guilty again. 

“What more could I ask?” he whispered to her sweetly, dropping her hands back into her lap gently. “You should get some rest. We could face anything when we reach the goblin leaders, and we need you fully rested for battle.” 

“You’re right,” she replied. There was a hint of disappointment in her eyes. She got up, stretched, and headed over to her bedroll, which was moved a little further away from the fire pit. “We’ll see if I can sleep with all their snoring.” Faeris motioned to her companions. Lae’zel was sleeping with her mouth wide open, snoring loudly with each inhale. “I’ll think I’ll make my own spot a little out of earshot tonight. Good night Astarion.” He savored the sound of his name spoken by her enchanting voice.

“Sweet dreams darling.” 

Hours passed deep into the night. Astarion could hardly focus on his meditation. His mind was filled with images of Faeris at the river. Even with his newfound tadpole power, he was still hungry for blood, his mind still slightly clouded from going a while without feeding. The exertion of battle left him exhausted when he hadn’t fed, especially when he drew on the power of the mind flayer parasite. He should go hunt, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave camp. Every day he grew more paranoid that Cazador or one of his minions would show up to reclaim and torture him. He didn’t want to leave Faeris in camp vulnerable, since she was sound asleep, trusting him to keep watch. He didn’t think he could take on a particularly powerful enemy in his tired state in the woods by himself either. Despite this, a big fight was coming and he needed to be prepared to defend the group. His hunger took over his mind and he moved to settle near Faeris’ secluded sleeping spot. She was in a deep sleep, and didn’t seem to be having one of her nightmares. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and it framed her angelic face as she slept soundly. 

The sound of her heartbeat echoed in his chest. Her blood smelled so sweet and inviting. Without thinking, he gently brushed a lock of her hair away from her neck, revealing the red lines of a tattoo of a few roses that decorated her neck. The thump of her carotid artery was deafening. He could easily hide a bite in the lines of her already red tattoo. He was so _hungry._ Maybe he could just smell her blood and imagine what it might be like to taste her. He was _starving._ His mouth watered. Maybe she would understand if he…her eyes opened suddenly as he was leaning in.

“...Shit.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to add the spoiler that Faeris knew Astarion was there all along and was cool with it during the river scene. In my headcannon wood elves don't feel weird about bathing publicly. ;)


	6. Taste

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faeris wakes up to Astarion trying to get bitey, and the rest of the group finds out that he's a vampire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to include another screenshot of Faeris looking generally stunning. The character creation capabilities in this game are just so damn beautiful!

Faeris awoke, startled by Astarion hovering over her. What the hells was he trying to do? She opened her eyes as he was leaning towards her face with an animalistic expression, his sharp teeth exposed. 

“Stop!” She exclaimed with a confused and fearful look.

“No no - it’s not what it looks like, I swear! I wasn’t going to hurt you! I just needed- well blood.” She suddenly recalled the conversation they shared the night before when he admitted what he really was- a vampire. Part of her was convinced the whole conversation was part of a dream. He had been honest and vulnerable for once, even taking her hands and warning her that it was possible they were being followed.

“I was pretty suspicious when we found the boar,” she admitted sitting up, suddenly wide awake. “Are you trying to eat me? I trusted you!” She was visibility upset, appalled at her own lack of judgment over the past few days. It all seemed so obvious now, and she was starting to feel like he was just using her all along. This wasn’t the first time she’d misplaced her trust in a man, and ended up hurt by someone she had lusted over. 

“It’s not what you think! I’m not some monster! I feed on animals! Boars, deer, kobolds. Whatever I can get. I’m just too slow right now. Too weak. If I just had a little blood, I could think clearer. Fight better. _Please._ ” His eyes were wide and pleading. He almost looked out of his own mind. Faeris couldn’t look away from him if she wanted to. He just looked so starved and desperate, and despite the way he was acting, her heart reached out to him in understanding . She started to move her open palm towards his face, and he flinched and closed his eyes as if about to be struck.

“Why didn’t you tell me you needed something stronger than animal blood? I thought we were being honest with each other. Did you think I’d turn you away if you told me what you really needed?” Instead of hitting him or pushing him away from her, she placed a palm against his cheek gently. He opened his eyes slowly in disbelief. The crazed and ravenous expression he had a moment before was gone, replaced by guilt and regret. He placed a cold hand over hers against his cheek.

“At best, I was sure you’d say no. More likely, you’d ram a stake through my ribs. No, I needed you to trust me. And you _can_ trust me.” She wasn’t sure if she really could, but she wanted to trust him, despite everything.

“I do. I believe you.”

“Thank you,” he said in relief. Do you think you could trust me just a little further? I only need a taste, I swear.” He looked timid, yet determined. 

A startling thought hit her. She _wanted_ him to bite her. She craved his touch, and she wanted to help him, not just because he was a teammate that she genuinely cared about, but she was also curious about what it would feel like. Would it hurt? Would there be something dangerous and pleasurable about it? Would it be _both_ painful _and_ pleasurable like a love bite? 

“Fine. But don’t take more than you need.” Her words betrayed her sense of judgment once more, spoken before she could stop herself to think about what she was really agreeing to. His eyes widened in excitement and disbelief. 

“Really? I- of course. Not one drop more.” He was frozen for a moment, seemingly unsure of how to proceed. Faeris swallowed her fear and parted her long hair away from the side of her neck.

“It’s okay. You can touch me, just be careful.” Accepting her invitation, Astarion crawled towards her slowly and positioned himself over her, their bodies close but not quite meeting. Faeris leaned back against her bed roll, laying down on her back fully. He moved to mirror her in a raised straddle, pressing his hands down on either side of her face, his arms stiff and his elbows unbent. Faeris looked up into his blood-red eyes, and she realized that he was just as scared as she was, possibly more so. His apprehensive gaze into her eyes lingered. Her lips were slightly parted, and he shifted his eyes over them. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her.

Instead of kissing her, he leaned into the crook of her neck, his body falling to meet hers. There was something thrilling about how cold his body was against hers. She felt like a furnace compared to him. She could feel his cold breath against her neck. A chill passed over her, as if Astarion was taking her warmth into his own body. When he finally bit into her soft neck, it felt like a shard of ice piercing into her flesh. 

It hurt more than she thought it would, at first. She thought Astarion was going to stop, but instead he pushed against her body and gripped her tightly, one hand supporting her head tenderly, and the other clenching the side of her waist. The pain of his sharp teeth sinking into her numbed, and she started to feel better. His nose nuzzling against her neck and his soft lips pressed against her made her spine tickle. A wave of euphoria passed from her neck throughout her whole body. Their hips were pressed together, and she leaned against his bite wantingly. His hips pressed against hers more firmly, and she could tell that he wanted her too.

The world started to slip away. He was still drinking her blood, and it was starting to go too far. She put a hand on Astarion’s back pleadingly, and opened her mouth to tell him to stop, but her intended words came out as a soft murmur mixed with a heated pant. He didn’t seem to hear, so she dug her nails into his back sharply, and summoned the last of her energy to speak.

“That-that’s Enough!” Astarion came back to reality as if waking up from a dream. 

“Mhh? Oh, of course. I’m sorry I was just... swept up in the moment. But it worked.” He let out a satiated sigh. His eyes shined with empowerment and joy. A drop of her blood rolled down his chin. Almost embarrassed by their proximity and intense intimacy, he peeled off of her and stood up. 

“That-that was amazing. My mind is finally clear. I feel strong. I feel … happy!” He dragged a long finger over the blood on his chin and put it to his lips, licking at it in order to savor the last few drops. Looking down at her looking dizzy on the floor, he jolted over to the party stash to grab a healing potion with newfound speed. He knelt down, bringing her head into his lap. He tilted her up so that she was at an angle, and pressed the potion against her pale lips. She quickly started to regain color after sipping at the potion. Astarion looked at her worriedly, realizing he had gone too far.

“I'm sorry. I won’t let it go that far ever again. I didn’t expect that to be so…exhilarating. Your blood is the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted,” he said seriously. “Are you okay?” 

“Yes I feel a lot better after the potion. I’m looking forward to seeing you fight.” Faeris blushed. She didn’t know what else to say. Her body just went through an overwhelming high and low, and her emotions were complicated and difficult to reconcile. He gently set her head and torso back against her bed roll, and shifted out from under her. He stood back up.

“Shouldn’t take long. So many people need killing. Now if you’ll excuse me, you’re invigorating, but I need to feed on something more filling.” He looked stronger, more confident, and ready to hunt. He started to turn away, but looked back at Faeris with admiration. 

“This is a gift you know. I won’t forget it.” The moon reflected around his silhouette like a bright, silver aura. The authentic confidence in his voice and stance made the whole encounter worth it to her. He turned back and silently stalked into the woods. A part of Faeris wished that he had stayed there with her head against his lap. The whole experience had her tired again. She slowly slipped into a dream, questioning whether the whole encounter had really happened at all, or if it was really just a strange fantasy. 

  
  
  


“Good morning. How do you feel?” Astarion was unusually bright and cheery. 

“I’m fine. Just a little woozy.” Faeris blushed, recalling the events of the night vividly.

“It’ll pass. Just be glad I’m not a _true_ vampire.”

“Is that how you stand in the sun? Is it because you’re not a true vampire?”

“Oh no, I should be in cinders in this light. I hadn’t seen the sun for two hundred years before we crashed here. Someone or _something_ wants me alive. They’ve changed the rules. Some of the rules at least. As for my other quirks, well we can figure those out in time” He winked at her slyly. 

“Do you think the mind flayer parasite is causing this?” Faeris was curious and confused. 

“I’m sure it has something to do with it.” Astarion’s eyes shifted from side to side. 

“If I can help just ask. We’re in this together.” 

“Oh you’re such a sweetheart. I’m just glad you’re being sensible about these revelations. I was worried people might turn up with torches and pitchforks. Although there’s still time.” He looked over at their companions in camp, pulling at the neck of his collar in mock paranoia.

“A vampire among us? So be it. But should I wake up with so much as a drop of blood on my neck I will _end_ him,” Lae’zel called out, clearly listening.

“I’d just better not wake in the night to find fangs at my throat,” added Shadowheart.

“We need him. We’ve gotten this far as a group and we can’t start turning on each other now.” Faeris was trying to keep the peace.

“Quite the opposite. I’m here in the spirit of openness and honesty, to work together as a team.” Astarion was trying to be his charming self. Wyll looked a bit cold, but said that he didn’t mind as long as he kept his fangs to himself

“There now. We’re all friends again. Shall we go? There’s a long day ahead of us.” Astarion was clearly ready for the conversation to end. A long day of exploring and dealing with merchants led them back to camp with empty stomachs and full coin purses. Everyone had received an armor or weapon upgrade, and they were stocked up with potions and ready to take on the goblins when the morning came. The group was in a generally good mood over their productive and fruitful day, though the energy in camp was starting to wind down as night approached. 

  
  
  


“So... about last night.” Faeris had to say something. The tension between Astarion and her was incredibly present all day. She couldn’t just let it go. 

“I’ve already apologized. What more do you want? Unless you’re looking for another nibble…?” Faeris turned a shade of scarlet that rivaled her hair. 

“Maybe later?” She whispered, practically feeling Shadowheart’s judgmental gaze from across the camp. “I just need to know how you will feed in the future.” 

“No innocents, you have my word. Only villains that we need to kill anyway. After all, you know what I am now. I can fight with all my weapons- teeth included.” He flashed her a devilish grin. 

“Sounds good. Glad we could agree,” she replied amicably.

“As am I. I’m starting to feel a little peckish already.” He eyed her hungrily. The bite mark hidden in her floral tattoo still stung a bit even though the potion helped the indentations close up, protected from infection. She trailed her fingers over the area, still slightly raw and tender. If she was being honest with herself, she craved the contact that they had the night before, with their bodies pressed together heatedly. Even though the bite hurt a little, something about it was also amazing for her too. It set her body into an icy ecstasy, and she wanted him to do it again. 

“You know if you want another taste, you don’t have to sneak up on me while I’m bathing this time.” He was startled by her confession that she _had_ seen him there, and he was incredibly guilty.

“I… that was wrong of me. I didn’t do it on purpose at first, but I should have left when I realized what you were doing. I’m sorry.” He was trying to stay cool, but he looked quite flustered over being caught by her. “How long did you know I was there?” 

“I thought I felt someone watching, then I heard you jump into the bushes like a scared squirrel. Not even Piper is that skittish.” She laughed as he shifted around uncomfortably. “Back where I’m from, it was quite common for us to bathe in groups. The wood elves I grew up with were never shy about their bodies. There’s nothing shameful about our natural forms.” She eyed him confidently. A small and twisted part of her liked to watch him squirm.

“That’s good to know.” He was starting to look more confident, and his eyes left hers, scanning over her body boldly. “Be careful darling. I don’t think you know just how tempting that _natural form_ of yours really is.” There was an air of danger and warning in his voice that sparked desire in her. If her companions weren’t right there, she might have tried to kiss him. His gaze was dark and heated. He looked like he wanted to pounce as much as she did. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t their time. They weren’t about to go at it in front of everyone, and neither of them were quite bold enough to sneak off together quite yet. The tension would have to remain, for now at least. Dealing with the goblin camp was their top priority right now, and they had already put it off another day gathering supplies. Tomorrow they would enter the stronghold and take out the goblin leaders, one by one. 

“I better get some sleep. Goodnight Astarion.”

“You do that, sweetheart.” He gave her a signature wink as she got up to head over to the area she slept, a bit away from everyone else’s snoring. She settled into her bed roll, and hoped for a lucky night of sleep without nightmares. She drifted off, imagining Astarion’s cold but delicate lips trailing over her exposed neck. Admittingly, she wanted to feel them all over the rest of her body. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I accidentally had Astarion reveal to Faeris that he is a vampire in the last chapter when they were talking about the tadpole dream before he actually goes to bite her. I just decided to roll with it and have her biting fantasies come true. If you aren't fantasizing about Astarion biting you too, then idk why you're still here LOL. Thanks for reading! Comments are always appreciated if you are loving the story or would like to suggest anything for future chapters!


	7. Loviatar's Blessing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group storms the goblin temple and meets a certain priest of pain along the way. There is some light bdsm content with Abdirak so be warned! It's nothing worse than what's already in the game. There's also a bit of the Tiefling party scene in this chapter!

Astarion never felt so alive entering the goblin-filled temple courtyard with his companions. The tired fog he was used to from eating only animals was long gone, replaced by heightened senses and a desire to jump into some action. The energy of Faeris’ blood coursed through him like an invigorating buzz. Every time he looked at her after she let him feed on her, the light appeared to bend around her into a warm glow like a halo. He couldn’t wait to taste her again. 

He didn’t remember much about entering the goblin camp. He was so focused on Faeris, watching out for her and admiring the way she confidently got the group into the temple, selecting the right words to get them inside. She was busy talking to one of the goblins who seemed to have a slight air of authority, seeking whatever information they could find. If he had his way, they’d be back at camp, pressed together again. Instead of holding back, he’d tear off her clothes and taste her everywhere. He’d kiss her for the first time and make her swoon. If he was skilled at anything, it was in the art of seduction. This time, he would put his skills to use because _he_ wanted to, not because he was following someone else’s orders. He wanted to do everything that was forbidden to him for centuries. He wanted to give into passion. Her lips looked so soft, and her body was unforgettable. He was ravenous to see it up close this time, and take his time to explore every detail of her. 

“Go on: kiss my foot.” The goblin’s hoarse and nasty voice ordered. Astarion was pulled from his fantasies in an instant, ready to tear the goblin apart for daring to talk to Faeris like that. “Go on, or I’ll wipe that nasty look right off yer pretty face.” Faeris just laughed, clearly unphased.

“You can’t be serious,” she replied, glancing down at his uncovered feet. He wore a shiny toe ring with a blue stone.

“End him or leave him. But don’t you dare grovel to this slug.” Lae’zel added her opinion before anyone else could.

“Are those big ears just for show? You heard me.” The horrible, disfigured goblin wasn’t going to let this go. To Astarion’s absolute shock and horror, she actually went to kneel down.

“That’s more like it,” the goblin said with satisfaction. She bent all the way down and pressed her lips to his feet. Astarion was ready to execute the whole camp.

“Didya see that? Heh? She did it! She actually did it. Gross!” The goblin seemed as surprised as the rest of the group that she would do something so dirty and demeaning. Just then, Faeris jumped back to her feet and turned around to face her companions, subtly flashing the ring she stole from his foot, rolling it through her fingers and smiling slightly. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and walked on ahead.

“Impressive. Though I’m not sure I want to know why you’re so skilled at… that,” Shadowheart commented pointedly. 

“Hey it’s enchanted with +3 movement, and I’ve done things nastier than that before.” Faeris looked almost proud of herself. Astasrion’s ears burned with jealousy. She was so willing to bend down for the goblin, but he should be the one enjoying her lips. He made a mental note to kill this particular goblin on their way out, as slowly and as painfully as possible. 

“At least you got a useful ring for once,” Lae’zel spat disrespectfully in reference to her buying the useless rings from the Tiefling orphan’s shop. 

The group moved on inside the temple. Faeris had to use the Illithid power to get them inside, convincing the guards by the door that they were members of the Absolute. The goblins seemed pretty weary of them, and acted more nervously than what would be expected of their kind. The inside of the temple was crawling with goblins and beasts of all sorts. This was going to be the most intense of all their fights, and they would have to be careful if they wanted to make it out alive. 

Walking into one of the temple’s rooms, they found an usual man covered in scars, shirtless, but wearing spiked pauldrons with an interesting wired mantle that covered his chest. His accessories were straight out of one of the brothels Astarion used to hunt in from time to time. His stomach lurched. There was something exceptionally strange about a human dressed like this by himself in a temple full of goblins. He watched protectively as Faeris approached him. 

“Greetings, child. I’ve met few aside from the goblins here. Are you also here to assist with the prisoner?” His voice was smooth and confident. It struck Astarion that he was probably a follower of Loviatar, the goddess of pain. What had they gotten themselves into here? 

“What do you mean?” Faeris responded coyly. 

“Your tastes must turn to the exotic, if you would stop here by choice.” The man rubbed his hands together and smiled. “I was invited to discuss pain and its intricacies, but even I find these goblins crude and, well - primitive. Pain without purpose is a terrible thing, wouldn’t you agree?” 

“It’s appalling,” she answered. The man raised an eyebrow.

“Forgive me, but that look in your eyes- something terrible has happened to you.”

“How did you know?” she responded faintly.

“Because I see those same eyes when I look into the mirror dear one. Pain is an intimate and _loving_ thing. It should be delivered by a loving and skilled hand. If you would permit it, I can show you firsthand.” Just what the hells was this guy asking her? Astarion felt himself growing heated and jealous again, though a part of him was curious about what this man had to offer.

“By all means- let us see what his ‘skilled hand’ might get up to.” Lae’zel wasn’t helping the situation, but egging him on. 

“I _am_ curious,” Faeris admitted. Astarion was frozen. So a part of her _liked_ pain? It would surely explain her willingness at letting him bite her last night. Astarion was truly worried that he had hurt her, but the thought of someone else hurting her made him see red. 

“Your hide, your choice. Not my cup of tea though,” Gale said carefully.

“I wouldn’t let his ‘skilled hands’ anywhere near me,” Wyll added. 

“Oh, I have something _exquisite_ in mind.” The man put his hands together as he said this, and Astarion did not like the way he looked at Faeris as he did it. “Both Loviatar and I are interested in how you handle pain, dear one. And should you delight her, you will most assuredly receive her gracious blessing - trust me.” 

“Wait.” The word finally escaped Astarion’s throat. He couldn’t just stand there and watch this stranger hurt her. He took a step towards the oddly dressed man, his white hair, long on one side, fell over his dark eyes. Nothing this man could do could possibly compare to even the weakest of Cazador’s torture. “ _I_ would like to be the one to receive Loviatar’s blessing.” 

“Oh my eager child, in that case, simply face the wall, and we can begin. You’ll need to remove your armor by the way, to receive Loviatar’s true blessing.” What had he just agreed to, and what would Faeris think of him now? Astarion unbuttoned his doublet and let it fall to the floor. Now shirtless, he became keenly aware that no one in the group had ever seen the large, intricate scar that Cazador had carved into his back. He walked over to the divet in the wall and pressed his hands against the cool stone bricks.

“Ah my penitent child. It appears that you are no stranger to pain yourself. I’m sure Loviatar will be pleased.” He struck Astarion with his dull club, and the shock of the impact left him speechless, only puffing out a breathful of air when the club made contact with his skin.

“The pain you suffer will cleanse you. Do not fight it!” He struck him again, but this time Astarion managed to let a small grunt escape him on impact. 

“Your voice sounds so sweet dear one, keep going. Don’t hold back now!” At the next strike, Astarion let himself call out with more volume. “Pain is proof that we live! Revel in it.” The man struck Astarion harder this time, and he let out something that resembled a low scream. “That’s it dear one! Let Loviatar hear you!” The strange man was practically shouting now. Although he could definitely feel the pain of the club, it was more like a soft slap compared to the unbearable and blinding torture of Cazador slowly peeling away his skin. Pain was something he was used to, expected even, but something about this was different. He started to feel invigorated. “You’re doing so well! Do not give in now!” With a final firm strike, Astarion called out in response to the pain, and his voice echoed around the walls of the room. “Sweet child, you bore the pain like a true believer. I am proud to have served you this penance.” A strange part of Astarion’s mind was proud of himself. Faeris didn’t have to get hurt, and he _did_ feel more powerful, like he could feel a surge of dark energy rushing through him. The mixture of Loviatar’s dark blessing and the high of Faeris’ blood left Astarion feeling like he could take on the whole goblin-filled temple single-handedly. 

“It was an… interesting experience,” Astarion finally answered him. “And your name was…”

“Abdirak, my sweet, penitent child. Interesting is an understatement, dear one. Loviatar herself found your performance… inspiring. She has deemed you worthy of her blessing. And on a personal note, thank you. That was positively divine.” Cazador never thanked him after a torture session. This had been an interesting experience indeed. 

“Your world has strange customs…” Lae’zel said, breaking the silence. Astarion almost forgot that his whole party was watching the whole time. 

“Don’t group me with the likes of them!” Shadowheart responded quickly, with a hint of disgust. Turning to Faeris, he could see that her face was redder than ever, and her mouth was still slightly open in disbelief. He couldn’t tell if her shock was in horror, amazement, or appreciation. Starting to feel self-conscious about his exposed scar, a “poem” carved into him by Cazador, Astarion picked his discarded shirt up from the floor and began to button it up. 

“Go ahead I’ll catch up,” Astarion suggested to the group. Shadowheart shrugged and turned to leave the room, her long, dark braid whipping in the air as she turned on her heel. The rest of the companions followed to help recon the unexplored sections of the temple. Astarion thought he caught a glimpse of Gale and Wyll shaking their heads at each other disapprovingly on their way out.

“Are you okay?” Faeris whispered. She had stayed behind to wait for him. Her face was still incredibly flushed, and she looked concerned for him.

“Certainly darling. This is far from the worst beating I’ve endured. In fact, there might just be something to this Loviatar woman after all.” Truthfully, the visibility of his scar was bothering him. He was so used to it that he almost forgot it was there, but even escaping Cazador’s clutches couldn’t take away the permanent reminder of his power over him.

“Why did you step in like that? I could have handled it you know.” Faeris put her hands on her hips as she usually did while looking for answers from someone. Astarion wasn’t sure how to respond. 

“I’m sure you could have my dear. Shall we move on? These goblins aren’t going to take themselves out,” He replied, dodging the question. He was still redoing the buttons. Why did he wear a shirt with so many damned buttons? 

“Keep your voice down!” Her eyes widened at his comment, but he felt too invincible to care. His body was rushing with energy and he was itching for a fight. 

  
  
  


Halsin wasn’t quite what Astarion expected. He was much bigger and wider than any elf he’s seen, and he really did have the “presence of a bear.” With Halsin’s help, they stormed the temple and took out each boss one by one. Wyll even got his eye back from the torturer Spike. Astarion didn’t remember much of the fight though. He pretty much blacked out as soon as the action started, fighting with more power than he had ever felt before. The whole scene was a blur of blood, gore, noise, spiders, and images of Faeris shooting her bow and casting spells.

The way she fought reminded him of her performances. Her confident stance as she shot an arrow, and the way her eyes brightened as magic left her fingertips had the same grace as the nights she spent entertaining a crowd with her musical talents. What would Faeris think if she knew that he already was quite familiar with who she was when they first “met?” He had come to care for her to an unexpected degree, but their whole relationship, whatever that meant, was founded on a lie. 

Soon enough they were back at camp but this time with a lot more...company. The usually small and quiet camp was bustling with drunk Tieflings who had basically invited themselves over. Astarion had quite enjoyed the fighting part, but the celebrating part was really starting to get on his nerves. Rowdy crowds usually overwhelmed his senses, and reminded him of having to hunt for Cazador. The fight had taken a lot out of him, but he wasn’t really tired enough to sneak off to rest somewhere quiet. He would have been almost glad that the Tieflings brought wine if it didn’t taste so stale and watery. This didn’t stop him from drinking it, though it went straight to his head, and did little to cool his annoyance at the horned invasion of his usually quiet camp. 

Looking around, he noticed that Shadowheart was actually talking to Gale. She was usually cold towards his advances, but tonight she was holding a cup of wine in her hand and almost… smiling. They were engaged in an animated conversation, but Astarion didn’t care enough to eavesdrop. Even Wyll and Lae’zel were talking tonight and staring at each other intensely. What the man saw in that terrifying woman was beyond him, but Astarion wasn’t one to judge the tastes of others. It seemed like everyone had someone to enjoy the party with or at least talk to, but Astarion was lurking back alone except for the bottle of wine in his hands.

He glanced around the camp for Faeris, and found her talking to Halsin by the fire. Her bright green eyes were deeply focused on him, and she was nodding along seriously to whatever he was telling her. Of course her attention was focused elsewhere. Halsin probably reminded her of the elves she grew up with in the woods. He probably reminded her of home and made her feel safe, all things Astarion had undoubtedly ruined for her himself by attacking her when they met and spying on her at camp. _He could really act like such a damned fool sometimes_. At that thought, he finished his bottle of wine and went searching for another. He didn’t notice Faeris finishing her conversation with Halsin and heading over towards him. As Astarion turned around with a fresh bottle in hand, Faeris was there, right in front of him. She was stunning. The glow from the fire behind her illuminated her hair into a fiery blaze. He was hypnotized.

“How do you feel, hero?” Faeris smiled at him warmly. Her eyes were enchanting.

“You know, I never pictured myself as a hero.” His lips were spilling words before his mind was able to quiet himself. “Never thought I’d be the one they toast for saving so many lives. And now that I’m here… I hate it. This is awful,” he admitted. He was acting like a drag again and he knew it. 

“It’s not that bad. Think of all the goblins you killed.” She knew just what to say, and he admired her for it.

“True. That was fun.” He smiled back at her, ready to let her cheer him up. “Still, I would’ve liked more for my trouble than a pat on the head and vinegar for wine.” Without a word, she plucked the bottle of wine right from his hand and took a long sip. When she finally pulled the bottle away from her lips, she had an expression of disgust. “See what I mean? Awful. All I want is a little fun. Is that so much to ask?” 

“Oh? And what’s your idea of a little _fun_?” Her eyes were locked on his, and she was wearing a mischievous grin. Was she really flirting with him so overtly? He didn’t expect this, but it made his head rush. Her expression combined with her delicious scent, and maybe a bit of the wine, sent his inhibitions straight to the Nine Hells. 

“By the Hells. Sex, my dear. A night of passion.” Faeris’ face lit up and her cheeks started to turn pink again. He couldn’t go back now. “Let’s wait until things quiet down. Once the others are asleep, we’ll find each other.” 

“All right, let’s do it. I’ll see you _later._ ” This time she winked at him, using his own charms against him. 

“Indeed you will my love, indeed you will,” Astarion cooed sweetly. Faeris covered her mouth with her hand and turned away to mingle with the rest of the party. He could swear this was the brightest shade of scarlet that he had ever seen her face turn. He could hardly wait to sneak off with her tonight, but he had to be very careful not to let go all the way and hurt her this time. He would need to practice restraint. Astarion set down his bottle of wine and smiled in self-satisfaction. If only his former self had known that the bard he was so enamored with would one day agree to spend the night with him, and he surely wasn’t going to let this impossible chance go to waste. 

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what's going down next chapter and I hope you're ready because I don't know if I am! Who else thinks that Abdirak and Halsin are both kinda daddy? Might need to make future fanfics with them if we get more content haha.


	8. Familiar Visions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party continues, bardly antics take place, and Faeris catches up with everyone, including Astarion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major smut warning! This chapter becomes very nsfw. Mind the tags!

__

_Sex, my dear. A night of passion. Let’s wait until things quiet down. Once the others are asleep, we’ll find each other._ He had even called her _my love._ Her cheeks and ears were still burning. She had to cover her face to conceal her goofy fucking grin. They were really going to do it. The logical side of her brain knew that she was probably involving herself in something dangerous and regrettable, but there was no way she could deny herself of the one simple pleasure she had been craving since the day they met. No one had ever looked at her the way he did, especially after she had allowed him to drink her blood when they were pressed together last night. He spent all day staring at her with hunger and appreciation, looking at her like he was undressing her with his eyes. 

Yesterday he fought with so much power and determination, and his eyes burned with satisfaction as he blazed through the battlefield. He was never more than a few paces from her side. Killing was never something that Faeris enjoyed, though she felt protected and invincible with Astarion by her side. And the moment before the battle began with the Loviatar worshipper… why had he jumped in when she was fully ready to accept the pain? And what was with that huge scarred symbol all over his back? Was this a mark of torture from his master? She wanted him to take her, but she also wanted to comfort him. The pain in his eyes was so clear to her, but if a taste of her blood could improve his mood so much, what else could she do for him? 

The rest of the party went by agonizingly slowly. Faeris decided to check up on the rest of her companions, who of course were already onto whatever was going on between her and Astarion. Shadowheart was visibly tipsy, and she gave Faeris an amused smile as she approached.

“I saw you with Astarion. You two looked… _cozy_.” Faeris wasn’t sure which time with Astarion she was referring to. Shadowheart was the nosiest companion after all. Faeris just folded her arms and didn’t reply. “Far be it from me to judge. Blood must still be running a little hot after everything.” She trailed off, looking up at the stars. “Strange… you know who I never thought I’d find myself caring for?”

“Gale,” Faeris replied quickly, mirroring Shadowheart’s amused expression. Her eyes wided, and she blushed as if caught off guard. 

“I was going to say Tieflings. Never gave them much thought. Certainly not that bunch in the grove, yet we came through for them. We saved their lives. Odd.” Shadowheart made it clear that she was perfectly happy enjoying her wine alone, so Faeris found Gale a bit away, and asked him why he wasn’t spending time with Shadowheart. 

“I think I’ve bothered that fair woman enough for one night,” he said with a forlorn sigh.

“She totally has a crush on you, you know.” Faeris smirked at him cheekily.

“You really think so?” Gale smiled and rubbed his chin. “I figured I’d try the backing off approach. Do you think it’s working?” he asked childishly. Faeris giggled.

“I think it is working but don’t back off too much! This might be your big chance.” She winked at him encouragingly.

“I take it you’ve already found a partner for the night. Astarion is a lucky man.” She detected a slightly judgemental edge to his voice. Faeris started turning pink again. Gale could really be too much sometimes. She excused herself and walked over to Wyll. 

“There she is- the woman herself. Let us raise a glass!” He poured her a cup from his bottle of brandy.

“To freedom from tyranny! May we hew a clear path for the downtrodden to travel. To you- a legend in the making. And to you and Astarion.” He grinned at her slyly. “May your stars burn ever bright.” Wyll’s voice was quite loud, and Faeris wasn’t sure that she wanted her business exclaimed to the whole party, but she was grateful for the sentiment. She had actually thought that Wyll didn’t even like Astarion, and seemed to treat him somewhat coldly when they started journeying together. 

“The Blade lives up to his myth!” They cheered and each took a sip from their cups, and chatted for a few more minutes. 

“Go off! Have your fun. I’ve got this tankard keeping me company.” Wyll looked slightly forlorn.

“I bet Lae’zel would keep you company tonight.” Wyll’s posture stiffened at her words.

“You know I’d be lying if I told you I hadn’t considered that. I’m just not sure if… I’m just not sure that would be the best idea.” Faeris figured he was talking about a certain someone with horns and wings getting in the way of things. 

“Okay, well good luck!” She patted his arm in a reassuring way and walked back into the party, spotting a drunken Alfira working on something with her lute. 

“Hey, there you are! This might be the wine talking, but I’m feeling inspired. I’m thinking of writing my next song about you, but I need an angle. Any ideas?” Faeris knew many songs about other people’s lives, but she’d never had someone offer to write a song about her before. It was an odd feeling to be the hero in someone else's story. Truthfully, she was just trying to find a cure for her parasite, though helping the Tieflings was more of a bonus to the plan.

“How about courage? Classic song material.” 

“Inspiring. You’re braver than this lot combined. That deserves to be remembered.” Alfira was stumbling a bit. “Your song _was_ coming along, but then the world started spinning. Have you been practicing with Lihala’s lute?” Faeris realized that she hadn’t even played anything since Alfira gave it to her. She was grateful to find a replacement lute, but it hadn’t occurred to her to practice with everything that was on her mind and agenda.

“Only a little,” she lied, not wanting to hurt her feelings, since she had given her such a precious gift that had once belonged to her beloved music teacher. Admitting that she hadn’t touched it might have felt like a slap in the face at her generosity. 

“Wonderful! Let’s see what you’ve got then.” Alfira smiled encouragingly, and hiccuped. Faeris’ heart dropped to her stomach with a tinge of anxiety. _Shit._ She was out of practice, and didn’t know what to play. 

“Alright, I can try something.” Faeris felt unable to say no. She fetched the lute and tuned it. Feeling the strings under her fingers once again, she knew exactly what to play. It was an old song she hadn’t thought of to play in a while about a group of travelers on a long journey around the realms to find a new home after a dragon burned down their village. She played it quietly at first just for Alfira, but the noise of the party became hushed, and she started to feel many pairs of eyes on her. Faeris was used to performing as Bardra in elaborate costumes and makeup with her old group and tavern, but she had never performed as Faeris the ranger in full armor. It was an unusual but freeing sensation to perform as herself instead of a character for once. Her confidence grew with each line. She was starting to feel like herself again for the first time since the mind flayer abduction. 

By the time she reached the chorus, the whole party was staring. The rush of a great performance was more thrilling than battle for her. She finished the song, and was met with enthusiastic clapping from most of the camp, though a few partiers were too drunk to realize what was happening. Her heart felt warm. 

“Encore!” Astarion was egging her to go on. She blushed yet again at his praise. 

“Alright, but I need Alfira’s help with this one.” She started to strum the intro of Alfira’s song, _The Weeping Dawn,_ that they had learned together a few weeks ago. Alfira’s eyes lit up. Faeris let her take the lead on the vocals, and Alfira managed to sing it with more passion and volume than she had back at the grove, thanks to all the wine. Faeris felt genuinely happy. 

The party was starting to wind down, and many weary folks were already setting up their beds for the night. It occurred to Faeris that she hadn’t talked to Lae’zel yet, and made her way over to check on her before she was back to her usual snoring. 

“I have seen the kith’raki tear a screaming neogi’s legs from its belly to fashion into blades, yet they could not match your nerves today. It was enough to drive me to madness. A pity for us you have promised your body to Astarion. I hope for your sake he doesn’t come too near your neck.” What. the. _Hells._ Not only was her metaphor quite disturbed, but she was actually _hitting_ on her? Faeris had no idea where this came from. 

“I’m grateful for your aid. You really are a gifted warrior.” Faeris was not prepared to lose a limb on this night to an angry githyanki. 

“Vlaakith demands of me no less. If only I might lay claim to my proper trophy. Come morning you will wonder how my lips might have tasted, how my fingers on your skin might have felt. Oh but do enjoy your night. I intend to myself. Wyll looks particularly tempting.” Aha. 

“I definitely see you two together, just be gentle with him okay?” Lae’zel shot her a menacing glare.

“We shall see.” 

  
  


About two hours later, most who had chosen to stay in their camp were already settled into their bedrolls or asleep. The moon was full and bright, and the air was cool, but pleasant. Faeris of course remembered Astarion’s plan for them tonight, but he had slipped away and was nowhere to be found. Maybe he went to hunt in preparation for their night together so he wouldn’t be so tempted to treat her as a meal when things got heated. She didn’t mind the biting part, she actually looked forward to it in all honesty, but the chance of losing too much blood this time was still at the back of her mind. She felt foolish for being so willing and eager to participate in something that could lead to dire consequences, but she couldn’t quiet the part of her that felt like she _needed_ it. 

Her past partners had largely disappointed her. Most of her sexual experiences had felt like a quick in and out, hardly focused on her pleasure much at all. She had a handful of experiences with women that weren’t entirely unpleasant, though each new affair left her craving something that she was missing, something she couldn’t exactly identify. She also learned quickly never to sleep with a Bardra fan. That always just ended up messy. Only one man had truly given her intense pleasure, but that relationship was doomed from the start. For some reason though, the tadpole was bringing back memories of him in her dreams, disturbing her greatly. It was as if the parasite was using her own memories and desires to control her to do gods know what. She was ready to distract herself with a gifted night of pleasure with Astarion tonight, but he was still missing. A dark thought creeped up on her. _What if he changed his mind?_ Maybe he was actually avoiding her. Her heart sank a bit. Was this bound to lead to another disappointment? 

Faeris decided to head over to her usual sleeping spot a bit away from the more crowded part of camp. She sat on her bedroll to relax for a moment. A part of her realized that she would be devastated if Astarion disappeared, even though they hadn’t known each other for long at all. It took a while to admit it, but she definitely was dealing with abandonment issues. Losing her mother as a toddler, losing her father as a teenager, and losing basically her whole wood elf community a few years later had almost destroyed her. She coped with her loss living alone in the outskirts of Baldur’s Gate by becoming far too attached to people who didn’t care for her as much as she did them, or people who cared about her for all the wrong reasons. Even the first man she had lain with in her old home in the forest had easily thrown her away when the whole community decided to migrate away from the outskirts of the city. _It would be better if you stayed in Baldur’s Gate. You never belonged here with us._ These were the parting words of the elves that were supposed to be her “family.” After her father, a wood elf warrior respected in the community, had passed suddenly during a tragic hunting accident, she felt completely alienated and out of place in her own home in the trees. Life in Baldur’s Gate after that had been pretty lonely as well. 

Faeris leaned back, reminiscing about the abandoned cottage she had made her own just outside the city. It was missing a good portion of its wall and ceiling, but she managed to get by there on her own, performing as Bardra in the city for money most nights. She had grown used to mostly sharing her free time with her familiar Piper, often inviting birds or other small animals to seek shelter in the dry parts of her home. She wondered if her possessions were still there, or if she’d one day return to a crumbled, ransacked mess. She really didn’t have much to recover, especially since her prized family lute had been destroyed during the abduction. 

“You’re not tired already are you?” Astarion’s silver silhouette appeared above her, blocking her view of the night sky. Her heart thumped, and she was drawn back from her melancholy thoughts. He was finally here.

“Of course not,” she replied, eyes burning up at him.

“Follow me,” he whispered. “I’ll be just ahead. Give it a second, then meet me in the woods, right over that way.” He was making her chase him. At least this way it wouldn’t be so painfully obvious that they were sneaking off together if they left at different times. 

“I’ll be there.” She let a few agonizingly long minutes pass, then quietly snuck off towards the path he had pointed to. She walked until the camp was out of sight, and was drawn to the soft light of...candles? Heading closer, she spotted Astarion, despite his dark clothing. He was leaning against a tree near a small clearing, where he had carried his bedroll over to. There were a few lanterns taken from camp placed around their impromptu, mini camp site. It was a laughable attempt at romance, but the effort was endearing.

“There you are. I’ve been waiting.” Faeris’ breath caught in her throat. He moved from the tree and came to greet her, taking her waist in one hand and moving his other to gently caress the side of her neck where the old bite had mostly healed. When their faces were merely a breath apart, he continued. “Waiting since the _moment_ I set eyes on you.” He moved closer so that he could whisper softly into her ear. “Waiting to have you.” His cold presence sent a shiver down her spine. 

“You don’t have me yet.” She smiled at him eagerly, starting to become weak in the knees.

“Don’t I? You’re here.” He pulled her body closer to his by her waist. “And I don’t think you want to talk. I think you want to be known. To be _tasted._ ” He ran his tongue gently along the pointed tip of her ear, and she let out a hitched breath. He was so right about what she desired that it scared her a little bit. 

“And what do you want?” She was genuinely curious.

“What do any of us want? Pleasure.” He bit the tip of her ear gently, careful to avoid hurting her with his fangs. She let out a soft and lustful gasp. “Yours. Mine. Our collective ecstasy. That’s what you want, isn’t it? To lose yourself in me?” Faeris took one last moment to consider what she was about to do, then nodded back at him. He was right, she wasn’t here to talk. “I thought so.” He started kissing her ear with more passion and intensity, and she melted against his chest. He worked his way from her ear to her neck, kissing and licking around the sensitive area. Her heart thumped in anticipation for the bite that she expected to come. She was wet with desire and wanting already. A few delicious moments passed as he enjoyed her neck with his soft lips, only daring to gently graze the area with his teeth. He moved his leg forward and pressed his knee firmly between her legs, spreading them slightly. She could feel how hard he was pressed against her again. She whimpered softly at the pressure against the part of her that was begging for attention, combined with the sweet ecstasy of what he was doing to her neck. Suddenly, his mouth left her neck and he was staring into her eyes again. 

“There are so many delicious things that I want to do to you.” His voice was a soft growl against her ear. “I will not have you unless you desire it. You need to tell me if I’m hurting you or if you want me to stop.” His expression was serious despite the overwhelming lust in his eyes.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I know what I want.” She was more than ready to experience whatever delicious things he had planned for her. This time he took her lips in his, softly at first. It occurred to her that this was the first time they had actually kissed on the lips. He kissed her slowly and gently, then opened his mouth to kiss her more passionately, daring to slip his tongue gently along her lip, then into her mouth to meet hers. She accepted his tongue so eagerly, and in turn felt him throb against her thigh. He guided them over to the bedroll, dropping them to their knees on the soft pelt, arms exploring each other’s still clothed bodies hungrily as their lips continued the passionate exchange.

Faeris had expected him to bite her by now. He was being surprisingly gentle for the vampire that sank his teeth into her only the night before. Maybe he really was afraid to hurt her. She was so desperate for him to unleash whatever he was clearly holding back that she decided to take matters into her own hands. 

She broke the kiss, smiled at him mischievously, then pushed him all the way back against the bedroll with a force that surprised even herself. His eyes widened in shock as he stumbled onto his back, and she used this opportunity to climb over him, pinning him down in a way similar to his tackle the day they met on the beach. Instead of waiting for him to react, she leaned down and bit _his_ neck, inviting him to unleash the animal.

He tensed under her as she bit him, not hard enough to leave a mark but hard enough for him to clearly feel it. She moved from his neck to look at his face, his soft and charming expression now intense and wolfish as if another, darker elf had taken his place. Before she could say a word to tease him, he arched his pelvis, suddenly raising her a bit into the air, then used the instability of her position to flip them so that he was now on top and she was the one pinned under him. She grinned up at him as he straddled her, proud of herself for provoking in him the exact reaction she had hoped for. 

“If _that’s_ how you want it then I’ll give it to you,” he whispered, reaching to pull off her breastplate. She willingly raised her arms for him to slide it off. He hurriedly removed the rest of her armor piece by piece until she was stripped to her underwear. Faeris reached up, trying to remove his shirt, but he grasped her wrist to stop her. 

“You’ll get what you want soon enough. Lay down and let me look at you.” He released her wrist and started to unbutton his doublet while gazing down at her. _Why did he have to wear a shirt with so many damned buttons?_ Soon enough, he was peeling his shirt off, throwing it wantonly into a nearby bush. He leaned back down, pressing his bare chest against hers. She shuddered at the bracing sensation of his icy skin pressing into hers, making her body feel like it was flaming against his.

He dove into another passionate kiss less gentle than the last, running a greedy hand along her bare side, tracing it down to the underside of her thigh. She mewled as he firmly gripped into her leg, digging his nails into her tender skin. His other hand was supporting the back of her head, his thumb sliding along the side of her throat.

Soon later he trailed a series of mischievous kisses down her body, stopping to focus his lips roughly along her inner thigh. Faeris excitedly laced her fingers into his silver curls in anticipation. Astarion peered up at her hungrily, then opened his mouth to lightly run a sharp fang in a line down the softest part of her inner thigh. His face was so close to her barely covered entrance. He suddenly bit into her thigh, piercing in and drawing a small amount of blood. She gasped loudly, reaching both hands to grasp the sides of his head, weaving them into his curls. His fangs were so sharp and cold at first, but the icy pain faded into a euphoric numbness as he lapped his tongue along the reddened bite. The hand he had supporting her leg tightened into a rougher clutch. He used his free hand to tease a finger along the perimeter of her soaked undergarment. 

Astarion moaned against her thigh, savoring the precious few moments he spent drawing her blood with a delicious suck. He used his teasing finger to easily slide the fabric of her underwear to the side, slowly and gently stroking along her slick folds. The combination of his bite and fingers had her moaning more loudly than she meant to. His thrilling teeth and mouth left her inner leg faster than she had expected the bite to end.

“Keep that up if you want the whole camp to hear, darling. I certainly don’t mind.” His eyes were on fire at the taste of her blood, and he had an incredibly wide grin across his face. He abruptly plunged a finger firmy into her burning core, using his thumb to softly rub her clit. She cried out in desire even louder, then brought one hand up to cover her own mouth in suppression and embarrassment. He chuckled devilishly, sitting up a bit to pull off her fully drenched underwear completely. Her gazed admiringly at her bare body before him, covered only by her thin bra. 

“Please Astarion. Don’t stop now.” She was panting for more. He slid two fingers into her this time, accepting the invitation without question. She moaned against her own palm as he used his other hand to tease her nipple through the thin fabric. He pulled her bra down impatiently, exposing her breasts to the soft lantern light. He took a moment to take in the view before slowly dropping his face to run his tongue along her clit. He curled his fingers inside her, slowly moving them in and out while working her clit with his lips and tongue. Faeris abandoned the attempt at covering her moans, letting him hear just how good his fingers and tongue felt. Her mind was able to focus on nothing but the waves of pleasure washing over her, until strange, out of place visions started to enter her mind. _She was walking through the streets of Baldur’s Gate at night, but the scenery felt familiar, like she had been there herself only weeks ago._ Why was she thinking of this now? Astarion popped his head up, looking at her worriedly. She had been so close…

“What’s wrong?” Astarion didn’t reply for a moment, looking at her assessingly. He finally opened his mouth, smiling slightly.

“The only thing wrong is that I haven’t been inside of you yet.” He quickly flipped her over onto her stomach, thrusting himself against her bare ass. His pants were still on, but he quickly undid them. She could feel him press his hard cock teasingly along her backside. She bucked her hips back against him, begging for him to enter her. He plunged into her from behind, hilting himself fully in one thrust. She practically yelled as she moaned from the sudden pressure. She was so stretched and filled up, lost in ecstasy as her mind went completely blank again. He pumped in and out slowly at first, then quickened the pace. She arched her spine, allowing him to thrust against the most sensitive place inside her. She felt his nails digging into her hip as he let out a series of low, heated moans. He reached around to rub her clit again, encouraging her to orgasm. A few final, deep thrusts, she was over the edge. He followed her a few seconds later, gasping loudly as he came. The overwhelming pleasure started to fade, replaced by more strange visions of the city. _She was walking along the streets again, distracted by the music of a nearby tavern. Her tavern._

Astarion pulled out hurriedly and laid down next to her, looking up at the night sky. They were both panting. Faeris took a moment to catch her breath, then rolled over to look at him. There was distance in his eyes as he looked up at the stars.

“That was…” Faeris was trying to summon the proper words. Astarion looked over at her with a soft smile. “I needed that.”

“As did I my love. As did I.” He stood up, and she was able to see his body fully for the first time. She thought that he was not only completely sexy, but really beautiful. Astarion started gathering his clothes, leaning over to pick up his shirt. She glanced over the scars etched into his back, but decided that it would be an inappropriate moment to probe him over something that would likely bring him pain to discuss. 

“You’re not going to stay for a bit?” Faeris was confused at his hurry.

“You sleep light. I thought you’d be exhausted after last night.” What was that supposed to mean?

“What makes you think I couldn’t go again?” She gazed up at him with a cheeky grin. He eyed her for a moment as if considering it.

“Tempting, but this might not be the time or the place. Delicious as you were, I didn’t want to go too far. I was holding back, if anything. Worried that I might… lose control.” His eyes left hers to meet the ground, looking slightly ashamed. “Now, shall we get on? Let us go before I regret my restraint last night.” His tone was more suggestive than threatening, but it wasn’t like she was going to force him to stay if he was in such a rush to get back. He glanced back at her. “Don’t you feel the need to brag to the others about our little tryst. Given the noise you made last night. I’m sure they already know.”


	9. Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter starts with some angst from Astarion as usual, but also gets a little silly. There is a major smut warning (18+) so be prepared!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello I am back from my hiatus! How long has it been? (time does not exist in quarantine)
> 
> Please accept my apology in the form of some very mildly nsfw art by yours truly. :)

Astarion was in the woods again. He had an hour until dawn, and he was hunting whatever animal would make the quickest prey. He needed to clear his mind and feed on anything but _her._

He had finally taken her, and she was more than he could have ever dared to imagine. It took most of his will to keep his cool instead of losing himself completely. The scent of her, the way her body burned against him, it was like he had stolen back a piece of life's energy, like he had touched a sun that refused to burn him. The high of her blood and body was intoxicating. It took everything to force himself away from her side and into the woods. If he had chosen to stay with her the way her eyes pleaded, the way he _desired_ to be with her, he would have gone too far. He would have been unable to resist the unquenchable taste of her blood. He longed to ravage her body for as long as she could stand it.

Admittedly their heated moment together only hours before was more brief than he had wanted. She had come so close to entering too far into his mind, and he could only think to flip her over away from his gaze and lose himself in her as desperately as he longed for since the moment he set foot in her tavern. The tavern she had probably seen in his mind _from his own eyes._ It was as if the more he let go, the more he allowed himself to give in to his desire for her, the more the wall of his mind surrendered. It seemed she had slipped into his mind without even trying right in the throes of passion. Unfortunately she couldn't be too far from the truth by now. Surely she had figured out that he actually knew who she was before they officially met on the beach through the mind slip. 

It was a rabbit that he eventually caught. It tasted bland and bitter like the Tiefling's wine. If only animals could taste like Faeris, he wouldn't have to torture himself. Controlling himself would be easy. 

Astarion slipped back to camp before most had risen from last night's drunken escapades. Only a few Tieflings had remained in their camp through the night, and it wasn’t the prettiest sight to return to. Astarion thought that the place could really use some bloody _tents._ Faeris was in her usual sleeping spot laying on her side with her back turned. If she wasn't sleeping, she clearly didn't seem like she wanted to be disturbed. Shadowheart's and Gale's bedrolls seemed like they were a little closer together than he remembered. Looking around he also noticed that Wyll was sleeping in Lae'zel's bed, but Lae’zel was sleeping across camp in the grass. _Animals._

Unsatisfied by the rabbit’s blood, Astarion settled into the bedroll he moved back from the woods to meditate for at least an hour before everyone would start to rise. Hopefully Faeris still wanted to talk to him in the morning. 

Faeris was talking to Halsin when he opened his eyes. Of course she was. Astarion was half convinced that the man was going to steal her away last night before he got the chance. The thought made him angrier than his pride would have liked to admit. All he could overhear from their conversation was "Moonrise Towers this" and "Underdark that" and finally "I'd like to join your party when you reach the towers." Of course he would. 

No one was as desperate as usual to rush into busying themselves on the "cure" with their heads drained by wine, and Halsin’s news about how to solve their predicament was as underwhelming and convoluted as a skeptical vampire could expect. The party was either lying down, chatting quietly, or stuffing their faces with Gale's breakfast. The only breakfast Astarion was hungry for was busy chatting with an elf that had the "presence of a bear."

Astarion decided to pass the tired if not awkward lull of time by sharpening his daggers. By the time they couldn't possibly become any sharper, Astarion sighed in boredom. Faeris' laugh broke the silence. She was talking to Shadowheart about something across camp that had gotten them riled up. Shadowheart was actually blushing, and it seemed that Halsin had finally left. 

Breakfast was finished and some of the party seemed restless. Faeris and Shadowheart announced that they were going to return to the grove to sell some loot from the goblin fight, and that it wouldn't take the whole group. Astarion told everyone that he would go "collect firewood or something like that." No one cared to reply, so he sent off feeling slightly ignored and dejected. Faeris had barely looked in his direction all day. 

Astarion approached a quiet, sunny spot in the woods and slumped against a tree, sliding down to the grass. If he had the ability to nap, he would have taken the chance. Instead, he folded himself into a meditation position and tried to quiet his mind. Bright red hair and green eyes flaked with gold flashed through his head, the feeling of her fingers weaving into his hair as he gripped her tensed thigh, lapping at the most delicious parts of her, the only taste he craved that rivaled his unquenchable thirst for more of her blood. He tried to extinguish the tormentous thoughts, but of course they only grew stronger and more vivid. He was picturing her exquisite body naked beneath him, remembering the way she bit his neck and teased him into taking control. 

The woman had actually bitten _him_ first. He planned to hold off and avoid biting her that night. He wanted to resist and prove to her that he really wanted _her,_ not just the blood, but she was just so eager he couldn't hold back. He _should_ have held back if he was one to ever learn. 

Astarion’s mind slipped from self hatred back to her skin. Her smooth and round ass, his fingers gripping into her body as he took her from behind, her body squeezing him and pulling him deeper…

His trousers had become impossibly tight. Opening his eyes, the visible line of his erection threatened to burst from their belted prison. Before he could think about it, his hands were palming at his bulge from the outside of his pants. Astarion quickly cast his senses a few miles through the forest, and found no sign of intelligent life around within hearing's distance. He sighed in relief, calming his mind and unbuckling his trousers. As usual, he couldn't resist. 

He pulled his cock free and gripped it firmly. He panted softly, stroking himself as he thought of her, allowing his mind to run free. Her moans were what did him in last night, her passionate and melodic calls in pleasure, the moans of a bard. _His bard._ He hadn’t dared to imagine he would _actually_ have her, but she came to him so ready to be known. To be tasted. He imagined her beneath him once again, thrusting into her deeply, her calling his name loud enough for the whole camp to hear that she was his. He pressed his body down, pulling her hair to the side and revealing her bare neck, tattooed and already bitten. 

Lost in the fantasy, he imagined biting down into the old bite, messily lapping at the blood spilling all over her neck, her moaning as he thrust deeper, her nails digging into his back and her legs wrapping around him. He was nearly there.

"Astarion?" Her voice was soft but unmistakable. His eyes shot open. It was already pretty dark out, and Faeris was standing before him with impossibly wide eyes. How long had he even been out here? Faeris was alone, but he was still quite startled, and he became more ashamed by the second. She eyed his throbbing cock which he realized was still in his hand.

"Shit." Once again, Astarion was caught red-handed. Faeris covered her mouth with a fist and actually seemed to be stifling a laugh.

"It's okay! I guess I kind of snuck up on you. You're not the only one with stealth abilities," she replied with a wink. "We're back from the trader's. Everyone is settling in back at camp. They said you went off to do something and never came back." Faeris knelt down and sat herself gently beside him. 

"I.. You're not upset with me?" Astarion had no idea how to react, but his dick was still out and standing proud. He figured he should probably put that away. 

"No. Why should I be upset? I thought you wanted some space so I was giving you some time to think. Isn't that what you wanted?" Astarion moved to cover his inappropriate bulge for the serious conversation, but Faeris grabbed his thigh and eyed him once over. "You don’t have to stop. I'm here now you know." She smiled mischievously and gripped tighter on his leg. Any blood he had lost to the area during their brief chat quickly resurged, and he was almost embarrassingly rock hard again. 

"We probably shouldn't… maybe it wouldn't be the most wise idea to…" He couldn’t even conjure the words to finish what he was saying because his mind screamed to him that he would do anything to be inside her again. 

"Oh. Okay then. I would never pressure you." Her hand started to slide away from his thigh and he panicked at the loss of her touch. 

"No!" Faeris froze, looking confused. Astarion took her hand and pressed it to his face, pulling her slightly closer. “It’s not that I don't want to. Quite the opposite darling. It’s more that I'm afraid I'll go too far and lose control. I couldn't forgive myself if I hurt you. I tend to ruin things if you haven't noticed." 

"You haven't ruined anything." She smiled at him and he melted in relief. There wasn’t a chance he would have been able to deny her when she was once again so willing to be with him. Why she was here at all or interested in him in the slightest after everything was beyond him. 

His mouth was pressed to hers before he could stop himself. He kissed her greedily, pulling her onto his uncovered lap. She straddled him as he sat back against the tree, whimpering softly into his mouth as they kissed passionately. Astarion was half convinced that he was still fantasizing, but her scent was just too filling and consuming. She smelled like sweet and delicious blood mixed with something earthy. Amber maybe? He ran his hands along her delicious thighs which were unfortunately still clothed. Maybe she hadn’t figured out his dirty little secret from their mind connection? He should be worrying about that or feeling guilty, but he was too aroused and delighted by her attention and body to care.

"This would be more fun if we were both naked you know." Astarion was back to his cheeky self. 

"You first." Faeris started to unbutton his top. "May I?" She looked at him pleadingly, but didn’t continue, waiting for his reply. 

"Of course darling. You knew there was never a chance I could deny you. My body is yours." Her eyes brightened and she quickly resumed her task of undoing the buttons. He reached to grasp at her leather covered breast, but she swatted his hand away. 

"Look who's the eager one this time?" She smiled widely and brought his hand to the hollow of her hip. "I'm not finished yet." Astarion was speechless, still in slight disbelief at his luck. He decided to remain silent and instead studied her beautiful features as she worked on the buttons. The light was almost gone, and he could just barely see the subtle pattern of freckles painted across her pixie-like nose. He stared at her like she was a precious gift, running his thumbs in small rotations along the sensitive lines of her hips. Finally, the buttons were undone. She pulled the shirt open, freeing his chest and abdomen. 

"You're not so bad to look at you know." She ran her hands over his chest and along the sides of his ribs. Faeris glanced down at his body admiringly, then looked into his hungry eyes and grinded her hips forward against his hard length. Astarion pressed his lips together, trying to stifle a quick gasp. 

"Mmm. You're already so hard." She gripped his shoulders and pressed her lips back against his, kissing him passionately while grinding against him slowly and with a lighter pressure, her legs on either side of his . His cock begged to rub bare skin instead of her clothing. Suddenly, she pulled back and slid off of his lap. His brain and erection were screaming at the loss of her body heat and pressure. Instead of undressing, Faeris slid Astarion's trousers further down and looked down at his sizable cock. 

"Not fair. Yours are _still_ on." Astarion was tired of being the only one naked.

"Are all vampires this impatient?"

"No just this-Ah!" Faeris bobbed her head down and took his cock into her mouth deeply in one slick move. He instantly forgot what he was saying as his dick throbbed against the inside of her cheek, the suction threatening to pull him over the edge already. 

"Fuck… Faeris.. that feels… You're incredible," he panted. She sucked along his length, dragging her tongue along the underside, taking him deeply then coming back up with an audible pop as the suction of her lips left the tip of his cock. 

"I know." She was still smiling and seemed proud of her affect on him even when she was fully clothed. Before he could protest, she was removing her top and setting it to the side of the large tree. Faeris stood up to remove her pants, bending over to give him a good view of her ass as she slid them down. Astarion forced himself to keep his hands free of his aching erection to give himself a moment to recover as he watched her strip to her underclothes. Her hard nipples poked through the thin fabric of her bra, and her panties were visibly dampened in a small area with arousal. 

"Come here." Astarion was somewhere between pleading and commanding. 

"Only if you ask nicely. Say please." Faeris had on a Chesire-like grin.

"What?" Astarion frowned. No one had made him beg for sex like this before. 

"Say _please_. I want you to." 

"Please," he replied quickly. He would say anything to feel her again. She smiled victoriously and came back to straddle him again in her underwear. He fully shrugged off his open shirt, then impatiently tugged at her bra. There was a ripping sound. 

"You did NOT just rip my underwear Astarion." He finished pulling it off then threw it into a nearby shrub. 

"You won't be needing that," he said unapologetically. She opened her mouth to protest but her words were replaced by a moan as his fingers rubbed the soaked spot of her pantiest. "I suggest you remove these before I rip them off too." Her eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything in argument. Astarion dragged her underwear to the side forcefully to better access her clit, and rubbed it in a few slow circles with his thumb. He found that she was so wet that he couldn't stop himself from sliding a finger inside of her. Faeris closed her eyes and threw her head back in pleasure, exposing her bitten neck. It took all of Astarion’s power not to feed on her again. He was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to stop if he started feeding while she was sitting on him almost naked and writhing against him like this. 

He thrust two additional fingers inside of her without warning and she shuddered, squeezing his fingers tightly with her slick walls. They both moaned. 

"I need to be inside of you right now Faeris." She gasped and nodded as he pumped her with his fingers for another moment before slowly sliding them out. He stared into her eyes as he licked his fingers.

Faeris struggled out of her completely soaked panties and positioned herself over his cock, finally grinding her bare pussy along his length. He gripped the sides of her hips and pressed the head of his throbbing dick against her swollen clit. 

"Astarion please! I need you to-" He was suddenly buried inside of her. She relaxed her hips and allowed herself to slide all the way down his cock until he was hilted inside her completely. She felt impossibly tight stretched around him, and it took significant effort to control his pace. He buried his face in her neck, kissing and tonguing the mostly healed bite from the night he first fed on her. She clenched around him tightly in response and started to grind her hips up and down from on top of his lap. Astarion used one hand to toy with her nipples and the other to tend to her clit with his thumb.

"Astarion that feels amazing! Don't stop," she pleaded. He continued rubbing her sensitive areas as he started sucking on her neck and ear, avoiding using his sharp teeth to draw any blood. She was squeezing him so tightly, and their minds started to blur together a bit. 

He could feel how close she was to her climax. He could feel how much she truly wanted him which honestly surprised him. He adjusted the placement of his finger against her clit slightly and rubbed faster. It was like he could feel her come that much closer to orgasm just from the subtle repostition from inside her own mind. The feeling was so intimate and dangerous, knowing her pleasure so deeply like that, and knowing that he was causing it. 

Her body convulsed around him in short bursts as she called out in climax. He muffled her lips with his own, kissing her hard and deep with tongue, allowing her orgasm to draw out his own, gripping her body tightly against his as he pumped into her.

They stayed interlocked for a moment, both too spent and unwilling to untangle just yet. He ran a hand through her long hair gently. Her body relaxed against his. After a few moments of precious silence in each other's arms, Faeris peeled herself off of his lap and stood up, his seed dripping down her leg. 

"You're beautiful," Astarion said dreamily. Her body was visible enough in the moonlight with his darkvision. He wanted them to stay together naked like this all night, but they had no supplies and were in the middle of the woods. 

"Well I certainly feel better after that. We better get back to camp. If they didn't know what happened last night they’ll definitely know now." This time Faeris was the one in a hurry. 

"What makes you think I couldn’t go again?" Astarion asked teasingly. Faeris laughed, but she was picking up her clothes, minus the ruined underwear. 

"You're cheeky. Where was that enthusiasm last night? Come on let's go. She took his hand and led him back to camp. It started to rain for the first time since they crashed into this place. Odd. 


	10. Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faeris and Astarion come back from the woods in the rain, and decide that tents are now required. The camp gains a new member, but not everyone is so pleased about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm back with a two Chapter double feature! More art in the next chapter :)

Of course it was raining. Faeris was dragging Astarion back to camp by the wrist, though her underwear was left somewhere in the bushes. She couldn’t believe he actually ripped her bra in the heat of the moment, though she couldn't say it wasn't worth the sacrifice. Realizing the intensity of her grip, Faeris released Astarion from her grasp and trudged ahead through the dirt that was starting to form mud. This was the first time it had rained at all since crashing here. Luckily, the mayhem of the deluge falling down on their completely uncovered camp distracted from their walk of shame when they returned. 

Wyll and Lae'zel were making a hurried attempt to rig a small shelter with some animal hides and spare wood, but there just wasn't enough spare materials lying around camp to produce much of an escape from the downpour. The rest of the party decided to travel to the Silvanus grove for the time being until the trader opened. The cavernous area near the grove served as a good enough shelter for a few hours until they could purchase proper materials for tents and tarps. Unfortunately, stocks were limited as usual, and not everyone would be able to claim their own tent with what little they could get their hands on for now. 

The group headed back to camp when the heavy rain had reached a light drizzle. Lae’zel was still asleep in her makeshift shelter from the night before, but Wyll was awake, and looked rather cold. His clothes were still pretty soaked, since the two had stayed back to watch the camp. The group spent the next few hours setting up their tents. They had enough materials for 4 tents for 6 people. 

"I will _not_ be sharing my tent with the likes of any of you," declared Shadowheart. No one was willing to argue with her. Lae’zel and Wyll agreed to share one, and Gale also requested his own, which left only one tent between Faeris and Astarion. _Oh, how convenient_ Faeris thought. 

"No matter. I can stay up at night to keep watch outside anyway. Faeris darling, do you mind if I at least move my pack in to protect it from the next rain storm?" Astarion seemed to be playing it cool in front of the group, or maybe he didn't really feel comfortable staying with her in the tent. They were all used to sleeping next to each other, but sharing the privacy of a small tent felt somehow much more intimate than sleeping in bedrolls outside. There was also the factor that Astarion didn't even sleep anyway. Faeris shrugged.

"Of course," Faeris replied nonchalantly. Everyone else had already lost interest, and were busy getting their tents constructed and comfortable. A few hours later, the tents were set up and moved in, and the camp was starting to feel more like a makeshift home than just a campground. 

"Someone is approaching," Astarion warned the group. "It sounds like just one person walking alone though." Faeris started feeling tense, and focused on the sound of the intruder making their way through the woods. 

"Fear not friends of nature! I have returned to continue with the plan to infiltrate Moonrise Towers." It was Halsin! Faeris smiled and jogged over to greet him. 

"Welcome back Master Halsin!" Faeris was glad to see him again. Halsin was one of the only people in this strange land that reminded Faeris of her childhood home. There weren't too many other wood elves around to talk to, and his bear-like presence felt calming rather than intimidating. The two of them had actually talked quite a bit during the Tiefling party the other night, and had even found out that they originally came from similar woodland communities. 

"Your warm welcome is appreciated, Faeris. I spent yesterday making the necessary preparations in the grove. I would like to join your camp until we reach the Moonrise Towers, if you'll have me." 

"Of course you can stay with us! We'd feel much safer with you here in camp." Faeris was feeling pretty excited to have the First Druid on their team. "I'm sorry, but we're a little short on tents at the moment." Faeris looked at the ground sheeply. 

"Not to worry! I have prepared my own supplies for the stay. I require no further assistance on your behalf." Halsin smiled warmly. 

"Oh perfect! Well I'll let you settle in then. Make yourself comfortable." 

"I will. Please let me know if I can do anything to assist the camp in the time being." 

"I will!" Faeris could feel eyes on the back of her neck again. She nodded to Halsin politely and turned around. Surely enough, Astarion was watching with a displeased look on his face. He shifted back to moving stuff into the tent as if he wasn't staring at them the whole time. For some reason, Astarion and Halsin never seemed to like each other, even when they first freed him from his cell. Faeris couldn’t see a reason why Astarion should even dislike Halsin. Afterall, he made the escape from the Goblin temple a lot easier. 

  
  


"Cozy, isn't it?" Astarion was waiting for her in her tent. The corner of her mouth turned up into a slight smile at the sight of him reclining on an animal skin in her tent that he totally pretended wasn't their tent only just this morning. Astarion was making a show of stretching out and making himself comfortable. All of his things were already moved into the corner.

"Somehow the Tieflings managed to forget a few bottles of their vinegar for wine on their way out. What a shame for them." Astarion popped the cork on one of the bottles with his nail, and poured some into two spare cups without waiting for her to accept his offer to share the wine. "Let’s call it their final housewarming gift to the two of us." Astarion set the cup in her hand with a toothy grin, then raised his and promptly downed his cup with one long gulp. He seemed to forget the whole toasting part. 

Faeris sipped at the wine half-heartedly. Astarion was right during the party, their wine really was terrible. It burned going down unpleasantly. 

"I can't believe it's almost dark and we spent the whole say setting up tents," Faeris finally said. Astarion was almost on his third serving of the wine.

"It's about time I'll have to say. The open air camping wasn’t agreeing with me." 

"I thought you were just keeping your stuff in here and staying outside at night?" Faeris replied, slightly confused at Astarion's sudden change of heart. 

"Oh love, it sounds like you don't want me here. I'm hurt." Astarion flashed her a fully-fanged grin and then took another long swig of the wine. He had abandoned his cup and was drinking it straight from the bottle at this point. 

"It's not that. You're welcome to be here, it's just… you don't even really sleep do you?" It suddenly dawned on Faeris that if he stayed here, he might not really have much to do but watch her sleep, though it couldn't be too different from sleeping next to everyone outside. 

"Maybe you're right. It's dark now and I should probably be off to hunt something. I'm famished." He gave her a lingering, apprehensive look for a moment, then leaned forward to cup her cheek affectionately. Faeris' heart skipped for a moment at his sudden, gentle touch. She met his hypnotizing red eyes, and her mind went blank. He leaned forward slightly, tilting his face, and kissed her on the… cheek? _What was that???_

"I'll be back in but a moment, love." Astarion finished the last bit of wine in the bottle with a long gulp, then stepped out of the tent, leaving Faeris alone. He had left more abruptly than she was expecting. Did she say something wrong? Faeris slumped down onto her bedroll, and covered the side of her face with her hand. What was even going on between them? 

Admittedly, sex wasn't the biggest deal for Faeris, but the cute and lovey stuff was a different story. Faeris had only loved one man, and she let herself believe that he loved her too, only to get blindsided and betrayed beyond belief. Since then, she saw little point in letting anyone else in, unless it was just for fun. Rather than stay in her tent by herself and let her thoughts stew, she decided to go check on her companions. 

Leaving her tent, she noticed that most of the group was already settled in for the night. She looked over at Shadowheart, who was sitting near her tent and fumbling with a small, spiky object in her hands. She looked up at Faeris watching her, huffed haughtily, then turned to her tent and went inside. Faeris sighed as she realized she was alone again. Just then, she heard a rustling in the bushes. Was Astarion already back so soon? He was usually gone for at least an hour or more when he went off to hunt. 

"Hello, Faeris!" Halsin put a hand up to greet Faeris politely as he emerged from the forest. He was back with a large pack of supplies and the materials for a small tent. Faeris would have been surprised that he was able to carry it all by himself had he not been one of the biggest elves she'd ever seen. 

"Welcome back Master Halsin, again!" Faeris smiled pleasantly. At least she had someone to talk to now. "May I help you get set up?" 

"Fear not, I am quite capable on my own. I wouldn't want to impose further." 

"You're not imposing at all! I have nothing else to do at the moment. I'd be happy to help!" 

"Alright, thank you Faeris, I shall not continue to refuse your assistance. It would be much appreciated." Halsin smiled at her warmly again, which made her feel a lot less lonely. 

Halsin carried the supplies over to a vacant area in camp, and they got to work setting up the tent. Halsin was such a quick worker that Faeris felt like she barely even helped. The rest of the group took practically all day to get set up, but Halsin’s tent was ready in what felt like no time at all. 

"Can I get you anything Master Halsin?" Faeris was eager to make herself more helpful. 

"Please, you may call me just Halsin." Faeris felt her cheeks redden at the familiarity in his tone. She was so used to addressing the druids back home with honorifics, it hadn't occurred to her that she was being too formal. 

"Oh okay, thank you M-, thank you Halsin!" She smiled at him sheepishly. "I should let you settle in," she nodded at him, then turned to scamper off with a hint of embarrassment. She decided to return to her tent for now before she continued to act embarrassing. 

Entering her tent, she almost stepped on the empty bottle of wine that Astarion had left behind. Who knew when he'd be back? Faeris could tell it was going to be a night that required sleeping tea, or else she'd be awake in her bedroll for hours. She gathered the herbs and the teapot from her pack and left her tent to start the brew over the fire. Glancing over, she noticed that Halsin was meditating outside of his tent on the grass. 

As usual, the scent from the tea steam started to make her feel more calm and relaxed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on slowing her heartbeat. 

"Is that the aroma of sleeping aid tea that I detect?" Her eyes shot open. How did Halsin get here so quickly without a sound? She could swear he was all the way on the other side of camp the last she checked. Her heartbeat was back to its quickened pace despite her intentions to calm herself. 

"Oh yes. May I offer you some?" Faeris asked, expecting him to decline. Most people did.

"Certainly. I fear there were some nights at the grove that would have been quite restless without tea like this. It can be a wonderful aid for restful meditation. Unfortunately, I neglected to bring the proper herbs to brew some myself." 

"Don't worry! I still have plenty," she said, pouring him a cup. She poured herself some then raised it. "To Silvanus," she toasted.

"To Silvanus!" Halsin repeated. He took a long sip of the tea and smiled. "Thank you for making me feel quite at home here indeed. It is encouraging to find those that honor Silvanus in unexpected places such as this." He took another sip of the tea enthusiastically. "The tea is lovely Faeris." 

"Thank you! Most people refuse or spit it out right away," she replied with a slight chuckle. Halsin frowned. 

"Then they missed out on a sound night's sleep I suppose." Faeris beamed, soaking in the appreciation from someone like Halsin. 

"Even if it doesn't taste the best, it does the job." Faeris covered a long yawn with her hand. "I'm already pretty sleepy." 

"It works quite well indeed! I am certain I will rest well this night. I can already feel my thoughts calming." Halsin was almost too good to be true. She'd gladly stay and chat longer if the tea didn't work so well.

"Please excuse me Master Halsin." Faeris' face started to heat up. "I mean, just Halsin!" He chuckled softly. 

"Goodnight Faeris. Sleep well." She stood up and returned to her empty tent.

Astarion still wasn't back. He wasn't usually gone this long, unless... was he out in the woods pleasuring himself again? She bit the inside of her cheek to avoid laughing at the memory. What an unexpected sight that was last night, finding him there by himself against a tree, stroking himself so fervently that he didn't even notice her walk up. She felt a rush of heat bloom between her legs. It didn't take long for them to have sex after she caught him, though he seemed somewhat apprehensive at first. In fact, there was definitely something holding him back most of the time when things got heated between them. 

Faeris knew Astarion didn't want to hurt her. She wouldn't have agreed to their little tryst the night of the party, or even let him drink her blood in the first place if she thought he had any intention of hurting her. Could it be just the fear of hurting her holding him back? Something about the situation felt deeper though. 

Obviously Cazador was involved somehow. You couldn't just be someone's slave for 200 years, suddenly become free, then forget about it completely. Her heart sank thinking about going through something like that for the length of multiple lifetimes. How could anyone deal with something like that? Faeris closed her eyes, and felt sleep approach like a heavy blanket. Soon, she was slipping into another incredibly vivid dream. 

  
  


She was with him again. The familiar, woodsy scent of his skin, the trees rustling in the night wind against the window. They were in his treehouse, tangled together naked in his bed. He was pressing soft kisses to her neck, and she writhed against him, laying on top of his chest, listening to his heartbeat thump. He suddenly cupped her face with his large, tanned hand and looked into her eyes intensely.

“I love you Faeris.” Her heart leapt. He loved her! Someone actually loved _her,_ the lowly half elf that everyone seemed to disapprove of at all times. She felt tears threaten behind her eyes.

“I love you too.” She couldn’t help it. Tears started to stream down her face uncontrollably. How embarrassing, at a time like this. He grabbed her head with both hands and took her lips in a passionate kiss, almost swallowing her whole. She eagerly accepted, intertwining their tongues and pressed hard to his body. He throbbed against her thigh, and she let out a soft gasp. She was finally going to have sex for the first time with someone who actually _loved_ her. 

He took his hand and squeezed her breast firmly, then guided his body along hers. He was rubbing his length along her entrance with yearning. She was so excited and ready for him to take her, but she was also incredibly nervous to do this for the first time in her life. 

“Are you ready for me Faeris?” He asked huskily.

“Yes! Please, I want you to. Don’t keep me waiting like thi-” He entered her abruptly and she called out in shock. It wasn’t how she expected it to feel. It felt like a sharp sting, followed by a delicious fullness. She moaned heatedly, and he grabbed her hips to guide her body along his cock slowly. It felt so right to her. She never wanted to stop. She could do this all day!

Faeris started to feel more confident, and started gyrating her hips without his guidance to increase her own pleasure. She felt like she was both intensely feeling within her body while her spirit drifted outside of her body in ecstasy. Why had she waited so long to feel something like this? She could feel her pleasure rising and rising like the waves of the ocean crashing into the shore, when suddenly the scene changed.

She could smell smoke and burning vegetation. The piercing sound of the screams of animals and elves filled her with dread. She rushed to the window, and was almost blinded by the blaze of the orange inferno devastating its way through the village in the trees. She started sobbing, not in happiness this time but in despair, loss, and disbelief.

She was back in his treehouse room. It was luckily untouched by the fire before it was quenched by a huge, collective water spell summoned by their circle of druids. He was there with her again, but the tone was serious this time. 

“I thought you loved me!” Faeris wailed. She was still crying as if she had never stopped. 

“That doesn’t matter now. We obviously can’t stay here anymore. The humans aren’t going to back off anytime soon, and we don’t have the numbers to resist. It was foolish to remain so close to Baldur’s Gate all this time. We must leave by daybreak, but you should remain here. You never belonged with us in the first place.”

Faeris felt her heart and breath stop in her chest at once. The tears stopped. Her sadness was replaced by something darker, somewhere between disbelief, regret, anger, fear, and betrayal. She stood up and ran away, hastily descending the ladder to the tree, running in the direction of Baldur’s Gate. The only possession of her’s that hadn’t burned away was her father’s lute and the clothes on her back. 

Faeris bolted up suddenly. She was covered in sweat, and her heart was pounding like it wanted to escape her chest. She took a moment to calm herself, realizing that the dream was just another unpleasant memory. She figured she should be used to the nightmares by now, but the tadpole was seeming to only exacerbate them. She sighed disappointingly, realizing that Astarion still wasn’t back, even though it was so late that morning would probably come within a few hours. She frowned in worry. 

Faeris brushed the fold of the tent opening to the side to check on the camp outside. Astarion was there by the fire, but he wasn’t meditating. He was laying on the ground with no bedroll, twitching slightly as if in pain. Faeris rushed out of her tent towards him. He was writhing in the dirt and muttering something. 

“No, no _please_. Not in front of all these people.” He jerked as if struck. “Cazador, please!” Faeris couldn’t take it anymore. She knelt down and shook his shoulders gently.

“Astarion! Wake up! It’s not real!” His eyes opened in a flash, and he bolted back away from her as he sat up, yelping slightly. He took a minute to catch his breath, then covered the side of his face with his hand as if greatly upset. 

“I had a nightmare too, “ Faeris said solemnly. She slowly moved her hand to his knee to reassure him. She had to be careful, because he could become pretty skittish when he was upset. He sighed, and put his hand over hers softly. 

“Was it Cazador again?” she asked gently as if she didn’t know. Astarion nodded, unable to meet her eyes. “Come on, there’s no point in staying out here by yourself.” She stood and gestured over to her tent.

“Okay,” he replied, sounding still upset but also grateful for her invitation. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More slightly nsfw art is now updated in chapter 5 so go check it out for some elf booty. Somehow I've been combining simping for my own characters, and learning digital art at the same time. Next chapter is from Astarion's perspective.


	11. Sweetness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astarion and Faeris spend some quality time in their tent. (Nsfw 18+)

He was holding her in his trembling arms, or more accurately, they were holding each other. Despite all of the tadpole’s gifts, it still seemed to be fighting for control of his brain, and the little bastard was fighting dirty. 

He dreamed of Cazador _again._ This time, the faces of countless victims that he lured to his master were all standing in a circle around him laughing maniacally and pointing. He tried to apologize over and over, but they just kept laughing, louder and louder. One of them, a young man who was barely an adult, slowly walked up to him while the others just stood and laughed. The boy raised a hand to slap Astarion. He winced as the boy's hand came down to slap his face, and as the hand met his skin, the scene warped to a crowded tavern. 

It was the night of the Mindflayer invasion, when Cazador ordered him to kill Faeris in front of everyone. He was at the lip of the stage, following Cazador’s unbreakable command over his mind, waiting for the explosion to stop him, but it never came. He jumped up onstage, unable to control his actions. The band stopped playing in a discordant, surprised halt. Faeris was staring at him, her eyes wide and fearful. She was dressed in an elaborate red costume, and there was no recognition in her eyes. His body twitched, trying to fight the command to kill her, but Cazador’s influence was too strong. 

He stepped towards Faeris and squeezed his hands around her throat. She gasped, her eyes pleading. The audience started screaming, but no one moved to stop him. He could feel his hands tightening around her throat against all his will as tears streamed down his face. That was when Faeris woke him up just a moment ago. 

He pressed his face into Faeris' long, amber-scented hair. Her scent and warmth brought him comfort, though he felt overwhelming guilt. He didn't deserve to have her in his arms when he was just having such a vivid dream about…

"Astarion, are you okay?" They were sitting in her tent in an awkward hug. She grabbed his shoulders and leaned back slightly to talk to him. 

"I… no. Not really." For once, he couldn't bring himself to lie. "What did you dream about?"

Faeris glanced down, and didn't say anything for a moment. Astarion was both curious about her dream, and also hoping to avoid describing his own nightmare. 

"I dreamed about the guy who broke my heart." His body tensed a bit. _That_ wasn't at all what he expected to hear, though she looked devastatingly sad. "I know it sounds stupid. It wasn't just the guy. It was my lowest point and…" 

"It's alright, love. You don't have to say more." He brought her closer to his chest, and ran a hand through her hair. The guilt was starting to ease a bit, replaced by a strange, confusing sort of ache that he wasn't used to. 

"Why don't you try and get some sleep? Astarion offered. There’s still a few hours before morning." Faeris looks ready to protest. You can rest on my lap while I meditate, if you want." Was that a weird thing to say? Was he going too far again?

"Okay," she replied quickly. Faeris eased back out of his arms and laid down next to him with her head against his thigh. Astarion couldn't believe his luck once again. He thought to fill the silence somehow, but kept his mouth shut to avoid ruining the moment. 

Faeris closed her eyes for a bit, but he could tell by her heartbeat that she wasn’t asleep yet. Maybe this suggestion was a bad idea. Who could focus on meditating when someone like Faeris had her head on his lap like this? He was sure she'd say no, thinking he wanted this a lot more than she did. 

To be truthful, he almost came back to camp early. He got lucky with a deer and drank his fill before it was even completely dark out. He was on his way back to camp to see how he could push his luck in Faeris' tent, but she seemed _busy_ drinking her awful tea with Halsin. Of course he said he loved it, cuddling up next to her by the fire like that. That was supposed to be _his_ move. 

Astarion felt childish, stomping off back into the woods like that. He foolishly spent another hour chasing a fox around the forest, but he never caught the damn skittish thing. He spent another hour trying to meditate in the woods near camp, but decided to come back before it got too late. He didn't want to stray too far from camp late at night, just in case anyone might try to ambush them. 

Looking down at Faeris in his lap, he felt quite foolish for staying away tonight. Her breathing was slower and more shallow now. She stirred softly, and turned her face away from his knee, shifting slightly towards his… 

He needed to control his arousal. She was definitely asleep now, and she was trusting him to comfort her. He drank enough deer blood to sustain himself for the night, but that didn't mean she didn't smell _amazing._ It didn't help that the last time she was on his lap was last night in the woods when she eagerly teased him, then climbed onto him. Astarion was actually glad that she was asleep by now so that she wouldn't notice the growing erection that was dangerously close to her head. 

Astarion took a deep breath, and tried his hardest to meditate. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore her tempting warmth and scent. A few quiet moments passed, then Faeris shifted in her sleep again on his lap. He tried to ignore the exciting sensation of her moving around on him like that, but he let out a gasp as her hand moved to brush his knee. 

"Hmm?" Faeris muttered and opened her eyes. _Hells._ "Astarion, would you like to stay in my tent?" What did she mean? He _was_ in her tent. _Oh._ She meant for him to stay here every night. 

"Yes." 

  
  
  
  
  
  


Astarion almost had himself fooled that he could possibly have something nice when they met the Gur. The Gur sent by Cazador. Of course he found him. How stupid could Astarion be to think he wouldn't find him? If it wasn't for his companions, he could be back in Cazador's clutches by now. If he sent one, more were sure to follow. He had to be even more careful keeping an eye out at night. He couldn't be fooling around in the forest chasing foxes or letting his guard down, even for _fun_. 

It had to be a _Gur_ , the very creature that almost ended his mortal life when Cazador conveniently appeared to "rescue" him. The Gur was sent to capture him, not to kill him. Cazador was sending him the message that he knew where he was, and that Cazador wanted him back. Nothing could be worse than going back to Cazador’s mental and physical torture. 

One thing had bothered him about the mission all along. If they _did_ succeed in finding a cure for the parasite, did that mean he would have to return to Cazador right away? Would the mind control just flip back on? The alternative was to keep the tadpole in and take the gamble that he wouldn't transform into a tentacled monster. 

He decided that the extremely likely reality of returning to Cazador was worse than the unknown chance of suddenly, painfully dying, if it meant he got to keep the free life he was enjoying now, for however long it was going to last. He wasn't going to get rid of the tadpole until he knew he was free of Cazador’s control. 

Unfortunately, being rid of Cazador would likely be harder than getting rid of the tadpole. He had an army of slaves, he could turn to mist at any moment, mind control, and the ability to command wolves at will, among other horrible things. Even as strong as Faeris' party was against goblins and Gurs, they had no chance at all against Cazador. He was just too powerful. 

On the other hand, there was Halsin. He wasn't thrilled about the idea of rescuing the druid in the first place, and he disliked him since the moment he first set eyes on him in the dungeon. He disliked that he knew too much about Moonrise Towers and the cure to the parasite. He especially disliked the way he made Faeris smile, and the way Halsin looked at her ass when she thought he wasn't looking. Astarion always noticed, and it drove him crazy every time.

Part of why he went back into the forest last night was because he wanted to avoid making a scene. He wasn't proud of the unignorable jealousy he was feeling. Sure he and Faeris had some delicious fun, and he even managed to weasel his way into a spot in her tent, but he had no true claim over her. She could decide to choose "the elf with the presence of a bear" over Astarion any time. She could kick him out of her tent whenever she wanted, or worse, move her stuff into Halsin’s tent. Astarion shuddered at the thought. 

"It's okay Astarion, we got rid of the monster hunter. He won't bother you anymore," Faeris said, looking concerned. They were on their way back to camp from the fetid bog. She seemed to have noticed his brooding expression.

"If Cazador sent one, there's bound to be more. But thank you. Your loyalty means more than you know." The corners of her eyes softened. 

"You didn't think we'd let him take you, did you?" She seemed to be half-joking. "Don't worry, you're safe with me." 

That was far from the truth. She didn't know the power that a vampire lord possessed. 

"We won't be safe until Cazador is dead. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen any time soon, so for now, we just need to kill any monster hunters on sight." Faeris frowned solemnly. 

"...Okay. If that's what it takes. You're not afraid of anything, so I believe you when you say Cazador is that bad." Astarion’s heart pounded. He didn't deserve to be with someone like her. The thought of putting her in danger now that he knew Cazador was on their tail made him sick.

If he was a good person, he would run away as far as he could from her and hide. Losing Faeris could be one of the only things worse than losing his freedom to Cazador. He had to spend whatever time he had left with her, or he'd regret it for the rest of his damned life.

  
  


Back at camp, everyone was eating one of Gale's stews ravenously. The smell of human food usually put Astarion off, so he tended to hang back and make himself busy during meals. He distracted himself by sharpening his dagger, and pretending like he wasn't listening to the group's conversations. 

Halsin was of course sitting next to Faeris, certainly closer than was necessary. They were talking while eating. Well, Halsin was doing most of the talking, and Faeris was listening while barely seeming to remember her food. They were going on about the grove, but Astarion was hardly interested.

He didn't even realize that he was staring at Halsin with disdain until their eyes met. Astarion didn't drop his stare, and he continued to sharpen the dagger in his hand. Halsin seemed unimpressed, then looked past Astarion as if he wasn't there. Halsin finished his bowl of stew in a few large bites, then set it to the side. He shifted closer to Faeris on the bench by the fire, then dropped his voice lower, so that Astarion could barely hear what he was saying. Faeris' cheeks turned slightly pink at whatever he was saying. Halsin looked back towards him, and Astarion could swear the bastard gave him just the hint of a smirk before continuing to ignore him. It bothered Astarion that he was letting this get to him. 

Faeris stood up abruptly, then motioned like she was full. She thanked Gale for the stew loudly, and declared that she was turning in early for the night. Halsin didn’t even try to hide that he was eyeing her as she turned towards her tent. Halsin's blatant, competitive behavior was seriously pissing Astarion off. In truth, how was he supposed to compare to an elf like that? 

Astarion lingered to sharpen his weapons for a bit until the party finished their dinner. He decided to wait until the others settled in to their own tents before he rushed in to see Faeris. He didn't want to come across as too eager. 

  
  


"Knock, knock," Astarion announced loudly enough for Faeris to hear from inside her tent. Was it their tent now? He hoped so.

"Come on in, Astarion," she answered back. He pushed the flap to the side and ducked in. Faeris was lying on her side, and Astarion tried not to gawk at her. She had removed her armor, presumably for comfort, and was wearing only a thin undershirt and dark leggings. Her hair was let down, and cascaded down over her bare arms and shoulders. She looked breathtaking. 

Astarion slumped down on the spare bedroll, at a loss for words. Faeris sat up a bit and smiled. Her rat familiar scurried out from around her side and scampered over to the corner, stopping to stare intensity at Astarion with its round, pink colored eyes. He hadn’t seen Piper in a while, though he wasn’t necessary pleased to see it again. 

"So, what did you and Halsin talk about?" Astarion regretted speaking immediately. Faeris raised her eyebrows slightly. Her pleasant smile warped into a half grin.

"He pointed out your staring, warned me that you're a vampire, and offered me to stay in his tent if you got bitey." Astarion clenched his jaw, and balled his fist. That was way too far. 

"Oh did he now?" Astarion tried and failed to hide his disdain for the elf. Faeris covered her mouth to cover a chuckle, but she missed her bluff as well. Seeming to notice his distress, Piper scurried over to him and sat near his leg, looking up expectantly. Faeris started laughing harder 

"It looks like he's decided if he likes you. Here!" Faeris reached into her pack and tossed Astarion a small scrap of dried meat. "See if he'll take it from your hand." Astarion grimaced, then reluctantly held the treat towards the white rat. Piper sniffed it, then grabbed it quickly with his small paws. The rat scurried back into the corner, and started biting at the offering enthusiastically. Faeris giggled again. 

"Seems like he likes you." 

"Wonderful." Astarion could care less about the approval of a rat. What horrible, disgusting creatures they were, especially the taste of their blood. Thinking of blood, Astarion realized he hadn’t eaten since the deer from the night before, and the smell of Faeris' blood was deepening his hunger. He was nervous to ask for a bite though, especially hearing about what Halsin was whispering in her ear. To be honest, he was quite proud of himself for resisting biting her the other night when they fucked against the tree. He was so unbelievably tempted, but he _was_ able to control himself. That meant he could control himself now. 

"Any plans for the night? Are you going to hunt again?" Faeris seemed interested in what he was thinking. He was probably making a strange face. 

"Oh, I'm not too hungry," Astarion lied. He felt like he spent too long fooling around outside last night acting like an adolescent instead of spending precious alone time with Faeris. He was admittedly feeling extra jumpy after the encounter with the monster hunter out for him. Sharpening his blades at dinner did little to quiet the paranoia of being hunted. 

Faeris looked so lovely in her comfortable state, and maybe if he left again, there was a chance Halsin could try to slip in and make a move on Faeris. The elf had already proved bloder and more forward than he first anticipated. 

"Are you sure? We had a pretty eventful day, and you need to keep your strength up. You know, if you need more blood… you just have to ask me. I can handle it. I'm stronger than you think." This bloody irresistible half elf was making it incredibly difficult to resist temptation. She was basically asking him to feed on her, and he was desperate to touch and taste her as much as he could. 

"No, love I've taken enough of your precious blood. Besides, Halsin would probably fly in and stake me." _Damn it to the Nine Hells_ he wanted to say yes so badly. She was basically irresistible, and he was having trouble stopping himself from becoming aroused just looking at her and listening to her lovely words. He doubted his facade of self control would last all night, and she probably knew it. 

"Halsin won't hurt you! I told him you've more than proved your loyalty. You're a member of my party. Why don't you like him anyway?" 

"I never said I don't like him. I just don't trust him." Astarion didn't like where this was going. 

"And why is that?" Faeris didn't look too pleased anymore. Piper finished his scrap and poofed away. Astarion envied that ability at the moment. He didn’t know how to answer her question without sounding like a total jealous brat. 

"Instinct," he finally replied curtly.

"Oh yeah? _Instinct?"_ Faeris looked doubtful, but slightly amused. She started to inch closer to him. He wasn't sure if he should be excited or worried. 

"And what do your instincts tell you?" She was practically crawling towards him now. 

"That I don't like him around you." Why did he say that? Faeris stopped moving and grinned. Her hands were on the edge of his bedroll. 

"You're jealous, aren't you?" Astarion kept his mouth shut. She was so close now. Her green and gold eyes could read him so well, and that made him nervous. He didn't say anything, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He was so _hungry_. 

"You don't have to be jealous, you know," she continued. Your stuff is already moved into my tent. We're practically married." Astarion’s heart stopped. _What?!_

"I'm kidding! You should totally see your face right now." She was laughing. Astarion relaxed his shoulders, and let out a soft laugh in return. He should stop being so serious all the time. "Don't worry, silly. I'm not going to accept Halsin’s offer to stay in his tent, if that's what you're worried about." He was worried about it. 

"Don't be ridiculous," Astarion fired back, learning towards her slowly. Their faces were dangerously close. Faeris didn't reply, she just stared into his eyes. The way she was looking at him was making him weak. There was no way he was going to be able to resist her tonight.

Finally, she closed the distance between them with a light, confident kiss. Astarion kissed her back immediately, and grabbed the side of her face without thinking, pulling her closer. She leaned in further, reaching a hand forward to grab the side of his thigh. His cock jumped. 

"Trust me," Faeris whispered, breaking the kiss for only a moment. Astarion replied by hungrily kissing her back, harder and more passionately than they had started. She slid forward into his lap, seeming to understand his weakness for that move. He gripped her ass with both hands, pulling her more forcefully against his lap. She moaned into the kiss, deepening his arousal. 

"Bite me," Faeris basically commanded. "Please just do it, I know you're dying to-" He sank his fangs right into her neck, and she gasped loudly in surprise. Astarion would have been concerned about alerting the camp, if he wasn't so hopelessly consumed with sanguine hunger and arousal. Faeris seemed to notice the noise and bit into her lip to quiet herself. Her blood was the most amazing taste known to him. It was going to be hard to pull away. 

She was tense when he first bit her, but she started to relax now. She gripped into his back with her fingers, and started to shift a bit on his lap. Astarion pulled her tighter. She was softly, quietly moaning into the side of his shoulder now. She _liked_ this, didn't she? 

Once Astarion reached the point of barely losing control, he pull his teeth back and licked the last few drops from the mark he left on her neck. He admired the way the blood melted into the delicate, red floral tattoo on the side of her neck. There was now another mark of two fangs next to the one that was almost healed from the first night he tasted her. Something about leaving a mark on her only made him greedy for more and more. He felt like he was claiming her, in a prideful, lustful way. He pulled his head and chest back from her slightly, trying to pace himself while checking on her. 

She looked at him like she was expecting more, and ready to take it at any moment. Her eyes were hooded with lust, like the bite made her only more ready to be with him. As usual, a soft, aura-like halo surrounded her silhouette as a result of the high of her blood, attracting him like a moth to the glow of her. She slid back slightly, allowing room to remove her top that barely covered her in the first place. Astarion took the chance to unbutton his shirt quickly without taking his eyes away from her. She looked perfect, even in the dim lantern light. There was no teasing this time. They were both desperate to undress as quickly as possible, intent on ravaging each other. Last night was too painful. Tonight was about passion and comfort. 

It wasn't long before they were both naked. Faeris pulled the ends off the tight leggings off from her ankles. Astarion was delighted to find that she was wearing nothing under them. He pounced forward, gripping her thigh and climbing over on top of her. She toppled back willingly, pulling him closer to him. He leaned down to take her lips in his again, kissing her deeply, and slipped his tongue against hers. She moaned and arched her hips to meet his. He was only one thrust away from entering her now. 

Astarion left her lips to kiss along the bite he just left, savoring the lingering taste of her sweet blood. She moaned in response as quietly as she seemed able, trying to quiet herself by pressing her face against the corner of his neck and shoulder. He couldn't wait any longer. He had to be inside of her. Astarion thrusted forward, rocking into her in one fluid motion, gasping a bit too loudly at the sensation of her body being filled by him. Faeris bit into his shoulder to avoid making noise, clenching around him tightly. 

She was already slick and ready for him to take her. He could feel her relax slightly. She started to move her hips slightly, encouraging him to continue. He started to thrust into her excitedly, allowing himself to be lost in the rare relief and pleasure the moment was bringing, breathing in her amber scent and feeling her whole body under his. It was exactly what he wanted to do the first time she let him bite her that fateful night. It took all his self control to just bite her then. Now, it was taking all his self control not to thrust more furiously and to keep them both as quiet as they could be. 

Faeris was starting to lose her ability to keep quiet. She was getting slightly louder at each deep thrust, and it was starting to become worrisome, if not enticing. Astarion took his palm and pressed it over her lips. She looked up at him lustfully and without protest. He was getting close. The sight of her looking up at him like that with his hand over her mouth was edging him closer and closer. She squeezed around him tightly, twitching her hips uncontrollably under him, and he was over the edge. 

_The forest was deeply familiar, yet Astarion had never seen it before in his life. A woman's voice called out from the distance, seeming displeased and impatient. Looking up, there were houses built all along the branches of the trees, connected by a series of roped bridges and wooden ladders._

"Astarion!" Faeris was calling out from under him. He had basically collapsed on top of her, crushing her slightly. Was he just in _her_ mind this time? He almost forgot there was often the chance of a mind slip when they lost control like this. He pulled himself out of her gently, then moved over to lay beside her. She was panting loudly next to him. Did she feel him slip into her mind? Her expression gave little away. 

"You're not _still_ jealous, are you?" Faeris asked cheekily. Astarion pushed his worries to the back of his mind. 

"I'm never jealous." Astarion kissed her, softly this time. She kissed him back sweetly. After a moment, Faeris shivered. 

"I'm a little cold," she admitted, pulling her bedroll open to slide in. She was looking a little sleepy. Astarion grabbed a pelt from his side and pulled it over her, adding another layer of warmth. 

"How sweet of you Astarion," she said tiredly, only with a hint of cheekiness. He wasn't ready to leave her side. They didn't have to hurry back anywhere for once. Why hadn't they figured out tents in the first place? 

"I'm full of sweetness," Astarion said sarcastically, slipping himself into her bedroll. He wanted to stay close to her. Her head in his lap the night before was nice, but he needed to be closer. She smiled in pleasant surprise at his presence in her warm bedroll. 

"Look at you, staying for a cuddle for once." He could tell by her voice that she was close to sleep by now. All the blood he drank mixed with the vigorous sex had clearly worn her out. He pressed his torso against her back softly, and wrapped an arm over her protectively. This feeling was too good to be true. She fell asleep in his arms as he meditated in her bedroll for the night, focusing on her scent, yet keeping his senses alert to the dangers of the night.

  
  



End file.
